At race registration, one person stands out among the runners.
“I’ve got my water jugs, and my gun here," he gestures. "I’m ready to go hunting for rabbits.”
This man calls himself Eugene Skinner.
“Came out here, and started a ferry. Brought my family out here, and we thought we’d raise our kids out here,” he said.
With racing bib number 2549, he won the first “Eugene Skinner” look-alike contest. There was only one other contestant. Both will run in the 41st Butte to Butte run.
William Wyckoff is the race director. “Tradition is all important, and we recognize that we really need to tap into the founding tradition of our city," he said. "So, we’re trying to bring back Eugene Skinner.”
The Butte to Butte is one of the biggest races in the Eugene Springfield area. The course starts at the base of Spencer’s Butte, and ends at Skinner’s Butte.
Apart from Eugene Skinner, you’ll also see “Lady Liberty” on the course Friday morning. That also means many downtown roads will be blocked. For a map, visit the Butte to Butte website.