Opinion: Despite the disruptions it may cause, it’s an honor and important test for Eugene to be the first US city to host this year’s World Athletics Championships.
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Beginning July 15, Eugene will host the World Athletics Championships, marking the first time the event has ever been held on U.S. soil. From July 15-24, Eugene will hopefully live up to its infamous title of “Track Town USA” as the world’s best track and field athletes descend upon the newly renovated Hayward Field to compete.
Due to the global nature of the Worlds, Eugene will be welcoming approximately 30,000 visitors this week.
Eugene’s population is estimated at around 175,000 people, and the addition of 30,000 people is not a small uptick in traffic around the city and its surrounding areas. Niels de Vos, the head of Oregon22 — a group responsible for producing the games here in Eugene — recently spoke about the challenges of hosting such a large event in a city of our size.
“We’re fitting a size-12 foot into a size-6 shoe,” Vos said, as Eugene is noticeably smaller than past cities to host sporting events of this importance. Hosting the Worlds is also set to cost roughly 80 million dollars, so Vos hopes that the event will generate enough revenue in return to the local economy as well as elevate Eugene’s status as a global sports hub.
There is no denying that these massive crowds of visitors are great for Eugene’s economy and local businesses, not to mention the excitement of hosting an event of this magnitude brings to our town. However, this sudden influx of people will inevitably cause disruption for the everyday Eugene citizen and worker.
If you have been living in Eugene the past year, you have noticed the preparations for the event. Everything from our street signs to the airport has been decked out in purple Worlds promotions for weeks now, boasting slogans to come “feel the glory,” at the upcoming games in Eugene. Local hotels — as well as ones spanning from Portland to the Oregon Coast — are jacking their prices three times normal rates while rapidly filling up, and creating mass street closures began a week in advance of events.
In an in-depth look at the upcoming Worlds, Orange County Guard sports reporter Scott M. Reid said hosting the games in Eugene is “an opportunity to live up to the claim as Tracktown USA with a global television audience watching, a chance to solidify its place in the sport’s domestic and international histories while silencing critics who doubt a city with a population of 170,000 can pull off a major international event.”
These World Championships will serve as an accumulation and celebration of all the recent work put into the new Hayward Field. With all eyes on Eugene, we can only hope the city pulls it off. And, while life as usual may be disrupted, it is still a once in a lifetime occurrence to be in the presence of such a historic event and incredible athletes.
Despite the city of Eugene and the state of Oregon priding themselves on their culture of acceptance and inclusion, it isn’t a secret that racial and cultural diversity is still lacking. In hosting a global event like the World’s in our city, we are lucky to get the chance to experience so many different languages, ethnicities and ways of life that Eugene doesn’t always expose us to.
So, while many underestimate and question the legitimacy of our city of Eugene hosting this international event, I would argue we are up to the challenge. A rich history of track and field is ingrained in our city’s culture, and I can only hope that everyone will rise to the opportunity of displaying our love and appreciation for track alongside the welcoming and inclusive nature of our town.
