the world heads to uni A revamped Hayward Field at the University of Oregon is due to host this year’s World Athletics Championships. Track and field has become synonymous with the state, but its past includes stories of both glory and shame. Michael Houston tells the tale.
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he modest east and west grandstands have been demolished and the core features of one of the world’s most iconic tracks have been given a facelift - but the legacy remains. Hayward Field - home of the Oregon Ducks - has been transformed from a reliable venue to an athletics stadium worthy of hosting major events. Located in Eugene at the University of Oregon campus, the first World Athletics Championships on American soil is set to take place there this year. This is a startling fact considering the nation’s stature in the sport, but there seems to be no better place to hold the flagship event than one of the most pivotal cities in the “running boom”. Part of the revamp is the construction of a tower, a 10-storey structure which pays tribute to five track and field legends from the university. Former decathlon world record holder Ashton Eaton is one of them, as is Otis Davis, the 400 metres and 4x400m relay gold medallist from the Rome 1960 Olympics. Another recognised is Raevyn Rogers, the current Olympic bronze and world silver medallist who is likely to represent the hosts in the women’s 800m at the World Championships. All three have achieved great things, but they perhaps pale in comparison to the legacies of coach Bill Bowerman and runner Steve
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Prefontaine, two of the most influential people in collegiate and professional athletics. Bowerman was the wise mind behind the success of Prefontaine, an enigma whose personality stood out as much as his running achievements. While “Pre” was becoming the top middle-distance prodigy in the country, Bowerman was already finding his feet away from the inside of lane one, having founded Blue Ribbon Sports with one of his former athletes, Phil Knight. The pair teamed up in 1964 to launch the company which initially started as a distributor for Japanese shoemaker Onitsuka Tiger. It later merged into the apparel giant Asics. BRS would trade shoes under a new name after severing ties in the Far East in 1971. That name - Nike - has become the biggest sportswear brand in the world. Davis has claimed that Bowerman, his coach at the university, made him the first pair of Nike shoes. This is contrary to suggestions that they were made for Knight, who was a solid but unspectacular miler. If not for a tragic accident, Bowerman’s name would likely be plastered on the calendar of every Diamond League season. The Hayward Restoration Meets of 1973 and 1974 were created to provide high-quality athletics, while raising funds to replace the deteriorating wooden west grandstand at Hayward Field.
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