Taking up much of the University of Oregon campus’ eastern border, Hayward Field proves an architectural marvel and a site of some of the track and field world’s most important events in recent history.

Classified as one of three Class 1 facilities by World Athletics, Hayward is one of the most impressive venues in all of track and field and will play host to a plethora of events this summer, including some of the NCAA’s best, the best high-school level athletes from around the country and the Prefontaine Classic, which brings the top-tier athletes to Eugene for competition.

The place didn’t start with fireworks and the eyes of the world, however. Bill Hayward initially had no clue that Oregon’s brand-new football stadium at the time would be named after him. Oregon’s track and field coach and trainer for the football team remained in the locker room during the halftime ceremony that saw the soon-to-be hallowed grounds take on his namesake in 1919. The stadium only served as a venue for football games in the opening two years, with Hayward Field’s historic track only installed in 1921.

The football team played its final game at Hayward in 1966 before moving to Autzen Stadium the next year. The school began renovations to make Hayward Field a track-specific venue just three years later, which included adding
an all-weather surface and widening the track to eight lanes instead of the original six. It was these renovations that gave Hayward its renowned nickname as the “world’s fastest track,” largely due to a Pro-Turf track design that used a mixture of sand and urethane.

They also led to Hayward being se- lected to host the U.S. Olympic Trials for the first time in 1972, which saw legendary Oregon runner Steve Prefontaine qualify for his first and only Olympic Games. Since then, Eugene has hosted the Olympic Trials a total of eight times, including the most recent in 2024. In 1987, Hayward made the switch to the metric system of measurement as well as the internationally accepted track configuration, which had shorter straights and longer turns. This meant that the in- field also needed to expand, which used a different form of Pro-Turf.

The constant investment into Hayward Field in its early days thrust it into the upper echelons of track and field venues around the world, but the stadium didn’t become the true spectacle it is today until the newest changes finished in 2020. Starting in 2018, Oregon demolished both of the original grandstands and created a brand new stadium-style concourse that surrounds all but one turn on the track. The Ducks also added a state-of-the-art underground training facility, which in turn helped guarantee the success of the track and field programs.

Due to the harsh nature of the weather in Oregon, being able to train at consistent conditions year-round has made the men’s and women’s programs into two of the most successful in the NCAA. In 2022, Hayward’s new and improved look led to it being selected as the venue for that year’s World Athletics Championships, which was the first time the event was ever held in the United States. This summer, Hayward’s history, tradition and magic will be in full force as generations of the track and field world make their mark.