As much as I love the Methow in the summer, there’s another place I really would rather have been last week.
I lived for 10 years in Eugene, Oregon — “Track Town USA” — where I got my first real job at the local daily newspaper and became a lifetime fan of track and field.
Hayward Field, the track facility on the University of Oregon campus (and a setting for a few movies including “Animal House”) has for decades hosted some of the best track meets in the country. I watched two U.S. Olympic qualifying trials events there, and had the privilege of seeing the late, great Steve Prefontaine at the top of his form.
Hard to imagine now, but at one time Prefontaine held every American record in distances from 2,000 to 10,000 meters. His was an outsized personality and charismatic presence. He ran with a ferocity that thrilling to watch — especially when on his “home track” at Hayward — and spoke out with courage and authority on behalf of his fellow athletes.
In Eugene, Prefontaine was accessible and hugely popular, a local hero who people could identify with. I was working at the newspaper on the day in 1975 when he died in a car accident after a big meet in Eugene. As a staff, we had to do our jobs while numb with grief, and the town’s sorrow was palpable. For many, it still is to this day. He would be 71, and still a compelling figure, if he was still with us.
Prefontaine’s spirit surely was in attendance for the past week as Hayward was the site of Oregon22, the world track and field championships — the first time that event has been held in the United States. And there’s hardly a better place. The facilities are magnificent, the fans are knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and Eugene enjoys a lovely Willamette Valley location. The event was originally scheduled for 2021 but was delayed for a year by COVID.
I would have appreciated, but hardly recognized, Hayward Field in its present iteration. Built in 1919, it was renovated several times over the years until a spectacular new stadium was constructed in 2020. It looks like the Mother Ship of track and field settled naturally onto the historic grounds. The facility was funded in part by Nike founder and major U of O benefactor Phil Knight, who himself was an Oregon track athlete.
When I was watching meets there, it was usually from the old wooden west and east grandstands, or from temporary bleachers built for the Olympic trials. It was intimate and exhilarating, and the athletes visibly responded to the supportive atmosphere. I was at the first Prefontaine Classic, an invitational meet held less than a week after Pre’s death and dedicated to his memory, and it was as moving an event as any I’ve experienced. Kenny Moore’s eulogy had the whole place weeping.
Although I ran track (not very notably) in high school, I didn’t do much athletically in college before I went to the U of O for grad school. Then, seemingly like everyone else in those days, I got the jogging bug.
It doesn’t look like it now, but at one time I was a marathon runner. For more than 20 years, I ran at least 1,000 miles annually, a lot of them on Pre’s Trail in Eugene. I can’t do that now, but I’m sure all that jogging partly accounts for my relatively low pulse rate these days. (Because I was in Eugene, I was also privy to purchasing a pair of the first widely marketed Nike running shoes, which would probably fetch a good price now. They had the original waffle soles.)
I’ve been following Oregon22 online all week and appreciating the many great performances from the world’s best track field competitors. Nearly 2,000 athletes from 192 countries (Russia not included) participated, and it was enlightening to become acquainted with extraordinary athletes representing so many nations. Their joy at competing well was genuine, even via online replays. But it’s not like being there and adding your voice to the crowd’s roar.
It’s been quite a while since I attended a major track meet, but I’ve always liked being at Liberty Bell High School’s cross country and track meets when they host them. As something of a sports reporter and photographer for the News, I get to actually wander around on the Mountain Lion Stadium field and see things close-up, something I wasn’t able to do at Hayward. Whatever the venue, it’s the competition I enjoy and appreciate. There’s nothing quite like watching a runner strain with every last ounce of energy to cross the finish line, whether they are the first to break the tape or last in the race. It’s all about the effort.
