INDIANAPOLIS – USA Track & Field’s 2002 Outdoor Golden Spike Tour (GST) will feature three IAAF Grand Prix events, including the most prestigious invitational meets in the country, as America’s best athletes compete in Oregon and California.

The Golden Spike Tour, announced Thursday by USA Track & Field (USATF), begins May 18 with the adidas Oregon Track Classic in Portland, Oregon. It continues May 26 at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, and on June 8 moves to the U.S. Open in Palo Alto, Calif., on the campus of Stanford University.

The final stop returns the Tour to Stanford for the 2002 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, held June 21-23 at Cobb Track & Angell Field. It was at the Stanford GST stop in 2001 that fans had to be turned away when the crowd quickly swelled to standing-room only.

As a prelude to the Golden Spike Tour, the elite USATF outdoor season kicks off on April 27 with USA vs. The World, Presented by Verizon, a special event within the Penn Relays that pits Team USA’s top talent against relay teams from Russia, Germany, Jamaica, Canada, Great Britain and Poland. All of the United States’ top international stars are slated to compete in USATF meets in 2002.

“It is a testament to the growth of the Golden Spike Tour that for the first time, all three invitational events on the Tour are IAAF sanctioned,” said USATF President Bill Roe “Golden Spike Tour meets are recognized by the IAAF as being among the best in the world.”

“Track and field fans have shown their support for the Tour over the last three years to help build our success,” added USATF CEO Craig Masback. “With California and Oregon widely considered to be the hotbeds of outdoor track and field in the United States, we expect that trend of growth to continue in 2002.”

The adidas Oregon Track Classic has IAAF Grand Prix II status, while the Prefontaine Classic – the premiere meet of the U.S. outdoor circuit – and the U.S. Open both are Grand Prix I meets.

The USA Outdoor Championships also will feature the top U.S. junior athletes competing virtually alongside their world-class counterparts. The USA Junior National Championships, part of the Verizon Youth Series, will be held during the morning sessions on June 21 and 22 at Stanford, with the elite athletes taking the track in the afternoon.

The USA Multi-Event Championships – heptathlon and decathlon competitions – will be held June 19 and 20 in Berkeley, Calif, with the junior multi events being held June 18 and 19 at Berkeley.

Now in its fourth year, the Golden Spike Tour provides America’s best athletes the opportunity to compete in the United States and earn substantial prize money in front of a nationally televised audience. In 2001, TV ratings rose as much as 35 percent for individual broadcasts.

The 2002 Golden Spike Tour will be broadcast nationally on ESPN, ESPN2 and CBS (see below for broadcast schedule).

Sponsors of the 2002 Outdoor Golden Spike Tour are Verizon, Visa and SoBe Sports System, with additional support from Nike, Xerox and General Motors.

For more information on USA Track & Field and the Golden Spike Tour, visit the "Events" section of the USATF Web site.

2002 USA Track & Field Outdoor Schedule
USA vs. The World and Golden Spike Tour
TV times subject to change; all times Eastern

Date	        Event	                                Site
April 27	USA vs. The World, Presented by Verizon	Philadelphia, Pa. (Franklin Field)
May 18	        adidas Oregon Track Classic	Portland, Ore. (Mt. Hood CC)
May 26	        Prefontaine Classic	        Eugene, Ore. (Hayward Field)
June 8	        U.S. Open	                Palo Alto, Calif. (Cobb Track 
                                                and Angell Field)
June 19-20	USA Multi-event Champs	        Berkeley, Calif. (Univ. of 
                                                California)
June 21-23	USA Outdoor Championships	Palo Alto, Calif. (Cobb Track 
                                                and Angell Field)

USA Junior Nationals events

June 18-19	USA Jr. Multi-Event Champs	Berkeley, Calif. (Univ. of California)
June 21-22	USA Junior Nationals	        Palo Alto, Calif. (Cobb Track and Angell Field)

2002 USA Track & Field TV Schedule(All times Eastern; check local listings)

Event	                Netwk	Time	                   Date	
USA vs. The World	ESPN2	6-7:30 p.m. (LIVE, taped)  April 27
adidas Oregon Track Cl.	ESPN2	7-8 p.m.	           May 18
Prefontaine Classic	ESPN	2:30-4:30 p.m. (LIVE)	   May 26
U.S. Open	        CBS	4-5 p.m.	           June 9
USA Outdoor Champs	ESPN2	5:30-7 p.m.	           June 23

2002 Outdoor Golden Spike Tour Ticket Information USATF prefers Visa

adidas Oregon Track Classic: $10 in advance; $15 at the door; children under 12 free with adult. Tickets available via Ticketmaster outlets or charge by phone at 503-224-4400.

Prefontaine Classic: $22.50 reserved; $16.50 general admission; $12 seniors and students general admission; $2 children 2-10; children under 2 admitted free. 1-800-WEBFOOT.

U.S. Open: Prices range from $15-$30. 1-800-STANFORD (782-6367).

USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and Junior National Championships (available April 8): Prices range from $10-$35 for single-session tickets. Three-day passes are available for prices from $35-$90. 1-800-STANFORD (782-6367).