The sixth version of the NIke Border Clash attempts to answer the same question that the first one did in November 1999 -- which is the best running state in the Northwest? The Border Clash VI is a story about how a good idea, passed around a couple of friends, can go corporate, well, corporate in a company like Nike...

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John Truax and Josh Rowe were former cross country runners and Nike employees. John was from Washington and Josh, from, guess where? Oregon. They remember the stories about the late Steve Prefontaine and Gerry Lindgren, the first in the colors of Oregon and the second in the colors of Washington State.

For much of the 1960s, Lindgren was one of the best distance runners in the United States. He surprised more than 60,000 fans, when in 1964, he defeated the Russians over 10,000 meters at the USA-USSR meet at the Los Angeles Coliseum. He competed for the US as a precocious 19-year-old in the 1964 Olympics. Lindgren also won the NCAA cross country championship four times and the NCAA Outdoor three mile three straight times.

Most distance runners of that era heard about Prefontaine as a senior in high school, when he broke Craig Virgin's prep two-mile record. By the time he started at Oregon, Prefontaine was a national name, making the cover of Sports Illustrated. I remember seeing it in art class--Prefontaine, Oregon's Distance Prodigy.

Prefontaine's runs in the NCAA cross country were that of legend. In his junior year, Nick Rose of Western Kentucky built up a huge lead over Prefontaine, the defending champion; a lead that many fans thought was insurmountable. But Prefontaine put his head down, caught Rose, and went on to defend his title.

So Truax and Rowe pushed an idea around their lunch running buddies at Nike. They pushed it around the running group at Nike, who pushed it around the promotions people at Nike running, and they were given the chance to settle the question -- which is the best running state in the Pacific Northwest?

How appropriate that an event like this be held on the Nike campus? Consider the quote left on one of the banners, near the start of the Nike Border Clash VI: "To achieve the impossible, one must attempt the absurd."

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I have missed only one of the six years, and each year that I attend, something new is added. This event shows off the beauty of the Nike campus in Beaverton, Oregon. The present 4,400-meter cross-country race (it originally started as a 4K) starts on the soccer field, with runners from Washington on one end, runners from Oregon on the other. After a blast from a real live cannon, the runners run at each other for about seventy meters, then mix as they make a sharp turn and head onto the campus.

Each year, the crowd has gotten bigger. The first year, there were probably 1,500 people here for the races. This year, the crowd is about 4,000, and the vantage points on the finish line are pretty well taken. The crowd has a lot of coaches, athletes, families and Nike employees and their families enjoying a perfect little race.

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A perfect little race?

Yes, a perfect little race. For the past six Novembers, the top forty boys and girls who run prep cross country in Washington and Oregon are invited for this event. It has become a huge amount of pride for athletes from both states. The top eight win a Border Clash Trophy -- Nike, the Greek goddess of Victory. The scoring is done by adding the performances of both girls and boys races to determine the overall state winner. A Nike goddess of Victory statue, with the team score and the names of the top athletes reside in the Nike Town of the winning state, until the next Border Classic.

The template is something that should be done all over the country, but that is probably impossible. Not to make it hard on Nike, but the energy and enthusiasm put into this event is impossible to replicate.

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How appropriate that the Border Clash VI comes at the end of a week where one of the founder's of Nike, Phil Knight, announced his retirement as CEO and President of Nike. Going outside of the Nike culture, William S. Perez, former CEO of S.C. Johnson and Company, fluent in Spanish and having managed global marketing initiatives in over one hundred countries for his family-owned employer. In an article in the Wall Street Journal, Perez noted that he had run in Nike product for 27 years and has run 11 marathons. But Perez said something in the interview that was more than politic -- he stated that no one can replace Phil Knight, he can only hope to help develop new managers for Nike in the future.

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The John Truaxes and Josh Rowes of Nike are really the second generation of eccentrics at Nike. The first generation were guys like Jeff Johnson and Geoff Hollister. Jeff Johnson was the guy who came up with the name Nike in a dream, and shipped early Nike running shoes, according to one story, in boxes housed above a funeral parlor. Jeff is also one of the most prolific running photographers, and is a fine coach, from high school athletes to Olympic athletes. Putting athlete development ahead of his loved home in New Hampshire, Jeff spent several years in Palo Alto, helping coach and found the Nike Farm Team. Jeff now lives in New Hampshire, and his drive and energy are part of what make events like the Border Clash spring from Nike.

Geoff Hollister was the first promo guy for Nike. A steeplechaser at Oregon, Hollister sold shoes from his car trunk, and convinced Steve Prefontaine to come on board with a tiny little shoe brand called Nike. Hollister spent his last few years at Nike developing, with Nelson Farris, archives for the company and the sport. Most summers you would see Hollister at a track meet, or summer camps. He is the epitome of the grassroots guy.

Those were the kind of guys that Nike picked in the old days. And today, Josh Rowe and John Truax show that the spirit and craziness of a company selling a few thousand pairs of shoes can be passed along when a company hits 12 and a half billion dollars in sales.

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In some ways, an event like this is even more important for a company that has done so well selling sports footwear: it gives back to the sport and reminds people of core values. Cross-country is the purest form of running, over hill and on trails, and one thing matters -- he or she who gets from point A to point B the fastest is champion. He or she who runs from point A to point B and finishes second, tenth, fiftieth also has the self-knowledge gained that the mud, sludge and perspiration was honorably earned, and that there is honor and respect gained from such battles with our modern selves.

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The last four races have been won by Washington, and the Oregon runners were rumbling. Would this be the year? Last year was the fastest, as Galen Rupp lead six runners under 14 minutes and Katie Leary ran sixteen flat, 29 seconds ahead of the crowd.

The girls' race started with the blast of a cannon. The 40 runners from Washington and the 40 runners from Oregon met at the XC mark and made a quick turn which took them onto the Nike campus. The crowd of 4,000- plus fans cheered on the runners as they went onto the campus.

Helicopters followed the runners around campus, giving fans a chance to see the race on large TV screens under white canopies near the finish line. But you can't change long-developed habits -- most fans ran to the one-mile mark, then to the two-mile mark back to the finish line where they could see the last 800 meters.

Holli Dieu, a junior from Coquille, Oregon, and the State Champion at 3A, took the early lead, with Natalie Todd-Zebell, a senior from Oregon (Grant), and fifth place in 4A State meet, in second place. Looking totally relaxed was the young woman in third, Brianna Felnagle of Washington, a senior from Bellarmine Prep and the state 4A champion.

Felnagle began her move at nine minutes, moving into second place, and by eleven minutes, began building a lead. As the runners came onto the soccer field, with less than 800 meters to go, the team race was too tight to call. Washington had first, and there were ten Oregon and Washington runners battling for the next critical positions.

Brianna Fernagle of Washington, her tough pace and strong form separating her from the crowd, won by twenty seconds, with a fine 16.29.09. In second was Holli Dieu of Oregon, in 16.49.68. In third was Oregon's Natalie Todd-Zebell in 16.55.45. Probably the most pivotal figure in the Oregon win was fourth place, with Oregonian Ilsa Paulson running 16.57.26. Washington's Jane Larson of Washington was fifth in 16.59.89. Hayley Oveson was sixth, holding off four runners in a three-second finish, in 17.00.23.

Oregon won the women's race, 93 points to Washington's 117, and the race was on--who would now, win the boys' race, and could Oregon hold on?

Here is what Rita Troup, from Washington had to say, "This race is a big thrill. I was tenth in my Washington state meet. I was pretty anxious before this race. I knew it would be fast, but it was not my best day (she was 78th in 18.33.64). I will be back in two weeks for the Nike team nationals." Rita attends Bellarmine Prep, where winner Brianna Felnagle also goes.

"I got into cross-country because my Dad wanted me to try out. I thought cross-country tryouts were a week before soccer but they were on the same day. No matter, I love cross-country. I like the sense of team and that we do everything together, we train together, we swim together, we eat together. I have run 5:12 for the 1600 and 11.30 for the 3200 meters. My favorite distance is cross-country 5k. I like the courses and just the sense of racing."

Sadie Bjornsen, also of Washington told ATF, "This race is fun, fast and exciting. I like that it is on the Nike campus--I like the competition." Sadie was fourth in her state meet, and is running the Junior Olympics in Chicago, as her team did not make the Nike team nationals.

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The boys' race was even closer. The cannon blast caught me off guard, as the runners from Washington and Oregon met and rushed onto the NIke campus. David Morgan and Kenny Klotz, both of Oregon, took the lead. The race was fast and furious. At the six-minute point, around a mile and a quarter, Klotz and Morgan were in the lead with Laef Barnes of Washington, a fine miler, in tow. Leading the next group was Robbie Barany of Washington, with Michael Maag of Oregon, Kelly Spady of Washington, Kenyon Neuman of Oregon and Jeffrey Helmer in a tight pack.

Not much changed until ten minutes into the race when Kenny Klotz, who had run only one other race this cross country season, began to focus on his finish. As the top three runners entered the last 800 meters, the best positioned was Laef Barnes, who was third. Relaxed, with good from, he was on the shoulder of David Morgan of Oregon and looked poised to take Kenny Klotz and Morgan when he pleased. Barnes went by Morgan at 200 meters to go, and then was on the shoulder of Klotz, looking to take the win. But that was not to be.

No one would get ahead of one Kenny Klotz, an Oregon junior who goes to Central Catholic. Klotz ran 14:02.02 to keep the win. Barnes did get into second place, but he could not get Klotz, who held on for a brilliant win, in only his seond race of the year.

David Morgan of Oregon held on to third in 14:06.61. Robbie Brany of Washington was fourth in 14:08.56. Michael Maag of Oregon was fifth in 14:09.39, with Spady Kelly in sixth in 14.09:63 and Kenyon Neuman of Oregon in 14:10.95.

After the scores were added up, the Oregon boys took a score of 103 to 109, over Washington. So, in the center of the field, for the first time in five years, the Oregon flag was raised higher than the state of Washington's flag.

Kenny Klotz is a junior at Central Cathlolic. After the race, Klotz told ATF, "I felt pretty good during the race. My training has gone well all season. I moved up to 80 miles a week, dropped back a bit for the state meet, where I ran 15:31 on a rough course for first."

Kenny ran 8:44 for the 3k last year and 4:04 for the 1,500 meters. Klotz will not be at the Nike team nationals, as he wants to qualify for the Foot Locker West regional and will hope to go on to the Foot Locker Nationals.

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So the Nike Border Clash VI today gives the win and bragging rights back to Oregon. The Nike goddess of Victory will move back to Portland's Nike Town for the next year. And the "perfect little race", the Nike Border Clash VI, is a fine memory.

Most of the fans will be back in Portland in two weeks for a new first time event, the Nike Team Nationals, which will be held December 4, 2004 at the Portland Meadows race track, near the NIke Campus. Another crazy idea comes to fruition--what will these guys think of next?

A final remembrance of the day. As I was waiting for coffee, I met Jeff Oveson, a long-time observer of the sport, who was here as his daughter, Hayley, was running for Oregon. Jeff and I spoke of the benefits of living in small towns. Jeff and his family live in La Grande, Oregon, and I live in Cambridge, Wisconsin. It was just nice to speak of simple things, which tends to give us all solace in lives that are too fast, too complicated and too busy. Hayley Oveson ran 17.00.23 for sixth, holding off four runners, including three from Washington.

Jeff and I were talking about how parents in some sports tend to get too involved in their kids' sports. I told him how I once ran an article on how parents should behave around their kids' sporting events. We agreed that, for the most part, parental misbehavior does not happen in cross- country, but noted that it should not happen anywhere.

I sure hope Jeff was proud of his daughter's performances. He certainly seemed that way, speaking of her and chatting with coaches from many of the schools. That's one of my favorite parts of the Nike Border Clash feeling: it is like a bunch of friends getting together, having some coffee on a cool Oregon morning and watching their kids run cross- country, and letting the kids do their thing. There is a purity in cross country that is pretty hard to find in other events.

See you at the Nike team nationals in two weeks. Until then, watch the results of the NCAA tomorrow, November 22 and have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families!

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