Below is an excerpt from the Lap Count newsletter, posted with permission. Kyle Merber’s Lap Count newsletter both entertains and enlightens fans about athletes and happenings in our sport.
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From the Lap Count Newsletter
The iconic Eugene post-track meet haunt the Wild Duck Cafe is closing its doors and pouring out the last of its beers. And I am sure that one bartender will be furious when any regulars offer over a wooden token rather than an Amex when settling up.
I’ve licked my wounds after many races at this watering hole. It was one spot near Hayward where you could always walk in and see a hundred familiar faces. Athletes would head straight to the bar still wearing their uniforms for an encore of cheers and subsequent “USA, USA” chants.
While the closure of any small business is a tragedy, comparisons to Coogan’s don’t seem quite appropriate. Maybe it’s my New York bias speaking, but according to locals, the Duck wasn’t quite the year-round institution for running fans that it is during the US Champs or Olympic Trials .
Either way, as far as business models go, being a track-themed bar maybe isn’t the best one – it only takes most runners a couple of beers before making the drunk jog home.
