Hayward Field
Eugene is the running capital of the world, alive with runners of all skill levels and experience. Whether it’s a soccer mom pushing a stroller or an olympic athlete training for the gold, everyone knows Hayward Field is the mecca of track and field. Each year the venue holds the season’s biggest events like USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the Prefontaine Classic, even the Olympic Trials. In fact, this year’s Prefontaine Classic saw 14 runners break 4 minutes in the mile. That’s the most runners in history to run sub four minutes in a single race!
Hayward Field houses 12,000 fans and has seats available for season ticket holders. If you’re not into breaking the bank, or aren’t about short shorts and zero percent body fat, you still should make a pit stop at Hayward Field to enjoy it’s unique fan atmosphere.
Imagine, walking past the recognizable Hayward Field sign and passing a statue of famous Duck’s coach Bill Bowerman. On entering the stadium there are several world premier athletes close enough to touch, but don’t touch, because they’re lean, mean, track and field machines. However, tell them “nice race” and don’t be afraid to ask if they’d sign your son’s or daughter’s tee-shirt. What’s unique to track and field is its athletes aren’t larger than life. There are no body guards, no million dollar cars, and no million dollar egos, because from year to year who’s on top is a mystery.
When settled in your seat you hear the gun blast as eight of the fastest men in the world sprint for 400 hundred meters. They pass the first turn, lined with gold flowers, and the fans are out of their seats chanting for their favorite runner. The stadium echoes a monotonous clap synchronized to the cadence of the competitors’ strides. Clap! Clap! Clap! They barrel down the back stretch and the announcer’s voice raises with intensity, “This is setting up to be the fastest race of the year!” At last they turn for the final lap and a man eagerly eyes his watch and bites his nails. An awestruck high school runner leaps up as at last her hero breaks the tape! A world record!
No sport matches the thrill level of Man’s oldest competition. Like Fenway Park to baseball, Hayward Field is the ultimate destination to watch men, as Bill Bowerman famously said, “Test the limits of human heart.”
A schedule of Hayward Field’s upcoming events can be found at the University of Oregon’s athletic website.
Written by Zak Weinberg for DiscoverEugene.com