Clockwise top left: Bill Dellinger and Jim Bailey training at Hayward Field in 1955; The mythical Steve Prefontaine, University of Oregon’s famed alumni and one of the greatest runners ever, whose life was tragically cut short at age 24 in a car accident; Newly renovated Hayward Field; The women of gold medal winning Team USA 4 x 100m relay; Seiko Prospex Speedtimer World Athletics Championships Oregon22 Limited Edition
The 2022 World Athletics Championships concluded last weekend with another thrilling gold medal performance by Team USA in the Womens 4 x 400m relay anchored by Sydney McLaughlin. It was a blazing follow-up performance for this running sensation who had broken her own world record once again on Friday night in the 400m hurdles with a dominating gold medal win. The Team USA women also took gold in the 4 x 100 relay on Saturday, shocking favored Jamaica with a upset win.
These were just a few of the highlights that made these World Championships so memorable — especially for this editor who had the opportunity to attend as a guest of Seiko, the Official Timekeeper, and run a lap on the same storied track as the world’s greatest runners.
For the first time in history the World Athletics Championships were hosted in the US at legendary Hayward Field at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Otherwise known as TrackTown USA, it was in Eugene that Nike was born, and where its co-founder, University of Oregon Track & Field head coach Bill Bowerman famously created the first waffle trainer that Nike would later produce, inspired by his wife’s waffle iron. Bowerman was the head coach from 1948-1972, succeeding Bill Hayward for whom the field is named. Read More