Track fans finally got to scratch the live competition itch, as racing returned to Hayward Field after a month-long hiatus for the first day of the Oregon Relays on Friday.
The rain-soaked invitational started with a victory from British Columbia’s Ruby Broadbent in the girl’s two-mile. The Parkland Secondary School senior finished the eight laps in 10:19.11. Broadbent is primarily a soccer player, who found running as a way to stay in shape during the pandemic. She acknowledged the size of “super big” Hayward, the awesome crowd atmosphere and thanked her coach, Dacre Bowen, for the game plan: “Go out at an easy pace and pick it up every kilometer.”
With the top three finishers separated by slightly over a second, Kacey McCallister took gold in the mixed wheelchair 100-meter dash, crossing the line in 19.40 seconds.
“It’s been quite a few years,” McCallister said about racing in Hayward again. “I was a high school state champion 20 years ago. It’s great being back in this amazing new stadium. I love it. I can’t believe I’m back here. Hayward’s got the magic.”
There was a world-best performance, 7:47.94, set by the Brooks Beasts team in the professional mixed gendered 4×800 meters: Devin Dixon, Laurie Barton, Isaiah Harris and Nia Akins.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Harris said on setting a world best in an obscure event. “I don’t think it’s been run much, but it’s real fun. I’m hoping it becomes more common of an event. It’s fun to go and race with some of the girls on our team. We don’t get to do that ever. So this is amazing.”
The ex-Duck All-Stars were victorious in their old stomping grounds, completing the 4×1 mile in 16:07.83. Matthew Centrowitz, Charlie Hunter, Sam Prakel and Johnny Gregorek fell 18 seconds short of the record that’s been standing since August of 1985. There have only been three successful attempts at cracking the sub-16 minute mark.
“Thank you all for staying up past your bedtime to watch this,” Centrowitz said. “As the lead off, I gave these guys a little bit of work to do. They came through. I had no doubt in my mind that they would get the job done. It was a lot of fun to get the band back together. We were all at U of O at different times, so it’s special to be a part of something together now.”
Day two of the Oregon Relays will begin Saturday at 6:30 p.m. with the boys 4×100-meter championship at Hayward Field.
