The domestic track & field season hits its zenith when the USA Championships begin next week at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.
Organizers and sponsors in Des Moines have made a major push lately to rival Eugene as a site for championship events.
They upped the ante this spring by increasing the prize money paid to professionals at the Drake Relays, one of the iconic meets in North America.
Still, USA Track & Field awarded the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials to Eugene. It will be the third consecutive time the trials have landed at Hayward Field. The USATF did so despite a big pitch from Des Moines.
Ben Lindaman recently wrote a multi-part series for Track & Field News to examine what it would take for Des Moines to compete on an equal footing with Eugene.
Here is the series:
In
, Lindaman sets up the problem from the Des Moines perspective. The crux of the issue is, fans don't turn out for championship meets at Drake Stadium the way they do at Hayward Field -- or even at Drake for the Drake Relays.
In
, Lindaman examines Hayward Field, what he likes and what he doesn't like.
In
, Lindaman examines the pros and cons of Drake Stadium.
In
, Lindaman outlines some things he thinks Des Moines can do to try to catch up.
I think he does a nice job with the series for the most part.
I have minor quibbles with some of Lindaman's points. He makes no attempt to hide his strong affinity for Drake Stadium, which makes it impossible for him to be totally objective -- something Lindaman acknowledges up front.
In my view, there are two things that give Eugene a big advantage in this head-to-head comparison.
-- One reason Eugene fans unfailingly turn out is that they always have a built-in rooting interest at every major, championship meet.
Case in point were the recently-concluded NCAA Championships. Both the UO men's and women's teams were in contention for a national title. Neither got one, but both were factors for all four days. Fans had multiple individual contenders to root for.
The UO athletes weren't drop-in visitors. They appear regularly at Hayward Field throughout the college outdoor season. Fans learn about them, know their back stories, watch them battle in home meet after home meet, season in and season out.
Eugene also is home to a professional training group, Oregon Track Club Elite. When Ashton Eaton was running the 1,500 in a bid for the world decathlon record, there were fans at Hayward who have followed him since he was at Mountain View High School in Bend. They have rooted for him throughout his career at the University of Oregon and as a member of the OTC. He lives in the community.
Hayward Field also is the de facto home stadium for the elite professional training groups in Portland, the Nike Oregon Project and Team Schumacher, and athletes such as Galen Rupp, Matthew Centrowitz, Dathan Ritzenhein, Shalane Flanagan and Kara Goucher.
-- People complain about the Eugene weather, and for good reason. In June it can be damp and drizzly, and it rained hard during part of the 2012 Olympic Trials. Or, if the sun comes out and the wind picks up, it can be difficult for those afflicted with pollen allergies.
But the Eugene weather is an advantage when compared to Des Moines. If the sun is out in Des Moines, the hot, muggy conditions are a problem for mid-distance and distance runners. There is the constant, afternoon threat of violent thunderstorms which can delay competition and, at worst, endanger athletes and spectators.
Say what you want about drizzle and pollen, neither brings the competition to a screeching halt.
OK, more links:
Former Oregon star
for the USA Championships; The Oregonian's track notebook.
Elijah Greer
UO men's distance coach
Video by Flotrack.
Ducks
awards.
Conway Hill reviews the NCAA Championships for the Chill Zone.
He writes: "She’s popped off some fast times here and there, but then doesn’t seem quite the same under the lights." For the record, she made the 100 final at the Olympic Trials as a college sophomore. In Eugene last week she won her second NCAA 100 title. She also has a NCAA title in the indoor 60. She didn't lose a college final at any distance in 2012.
Quirky
for the IAAF World Championships, while silver medalist Trey Hardee gets a wild card.
A
lit a fire under the Kansas women.
Video
former Oregon State track coach.
The Jayhawks
when they return to Lawrence.
Analysts Kevin Sully and Jesse Squire
when she graduates from high school.
Which
Track & Field News has the lists.
Injuries and a transfer
in coach Ron Allice's final season.
Colorado
with New Balance.
European champ
runs a windy 9.98.
In this IAAF video,
. Bolden compares James to a Ferrari.
The House of Run guys
and preview the Diamond League meet Oslo.
The
from LetsRun.com.
The
from Track & Field News.
The
roundup.
Runner's World's
of racing news.
The
Duck Sports Now.
The
Addicted to Quack.
-- Ken Goe