World Athletics Championships Oregon 22

It was about a year out that we'd procured World Champs Oregon '22 tix Day 1 - Day 5. Witness to the inflation in flight and lodge, it was fortuitous to drive. In anticipation through track trials, Pre, the plethora of meets, we had to practice patience for the big boi - couldn't just drive to Oregon every weekend, though we wanted to. Like 15-y/o girls following the band, track groupies, but only in desire; if only it were physically and fiscally possible. Passing on the now to get to the then, hoping we'd be healthy. And then it came, and we were not Covid-tainted, and we'd made it - as track fans, to the first ever World Championships held in the US. 

En route from Bellingham to Eugene we stopped at In-N-Out: double-doubles, extra crisped fries. I worked the length of the drive, which wasn't pleasant, but was profitable. A semi split the highway in half and the traffic in Oregon was chunky. Last minute we acquired lodging in Eugene after prices dropped, 1.5 miles away from Hayward, and arriving there, off Alder - a wide tree-lined, heavy-bike-commuting street next to the Amazon trail system - was our 2-bedroom Mexico City themed house. It would be our home for the next 5 days, cost us a mortgage's amount, but it was beautiful & cozy, with a vintage fridge and a garden in the backyard. 

Upon arriving Friday evening we took our legs for an easy 4. It felt every bit as though we'd been in the car for an entire day. Drinking helped. We walked to the Sunflower Market with road sodas, picked up some frozen meals for dinner. Back at the house we watched Friday's heats & got all of a few hours of sleep before Saturday's events. 

Saturday, July 16 - DAY 2

In training for the 100K World Champs, Jay had planned for a 20 miler at 6:45-55s on Saturday. In order to catch the AM session in time, I got out early and had his good company & navigation on bike beside. Ran along the Willamette on Pre's Trail passing pros and clusters. It proffered a speed tonic - uplifting & full of alacrity, like I was/we were part of the speed-amoeba. 

Showered, roadies, walked to Hayward to catch the (W) 3K Steeplechase & (M) 110m Hurdle heats (love the layout of the men's 110 hurdle body), the (W) 10K Final & the (M) 400m Hurdle heats. Our first seats were a few rows off the track on the first bend. It felt pretty hypnagogic to be so close; to see the etched body of Coburn, the colored tips of Frerich's hair. It was the first time I had seen these women race in person, and it was great to see all 3 make the final. Grabbed food & drinks at the stadium: Jamaican jerk chicken & white wine. Fully enraptured for 25 laps of track running; how elegant Gidey looks in motion. She'd win it with a lean in 30:09.94 (60 sec last lap), a fraction ahead of Kenya's Obiri in 2nd. Schweizer would seem underwhelming in comparison, in the detach, but her 9th place finish was a big PB (30:18.05). 

After the AM session concluded, we took a siesta, then to McMenamins for dinner & PM session tv viewing: margaritas, blue bayou salad. To Prince Puckler's for ice cream: oreo & oregon chai & frozen chocolate bananas rolled in nuts. Rolled home admiring the long strong stalks of artichokes in bloom. A few hours of sleep before - 

Sunday, July 17 - DAY 3 

Jay and I woke early to run to a viewing spot on the Marathon course (set at 6:15 am), out towards Springfield. Dillon & Sierra would race the ASICS Uplift Oregon 5K, which took place on the Marathon course, right after the men's marathon start. We found ourselves a nice place where you could jockey across the course and see the athletes twice in one loop. A large group of fans on foot & bicycle would make this trek several times over the 3x 14km loop course, which was pretty significant for marathon nerds. Helicopter & large drone circling the onslaught; if ever one wanted to reorient themselves to the location of the runners on the course, you'd just look to the sky. 

Ethiopia's Tola won the marathon in 2:05:36, a WC record, followed by Geremew, his compatriot, who was 2nd in 2:06:44. The most exciting performance of the day, for most, however, was Cam Levins' 2:07:09 for 4th, bettering his Canadian record (currently unsponsored). The US men had it rough, the highest finish being Rupp's 19th place finish in 2:09:36, though I'd consider 19 men under 2:10 semi-deep. 

Met back up with Sierra & Dillon, who had triumphed in their endeavors (both coming back from serious injuries & surgeries) at the marathon finish line, thickly lined in bodies, before running back to our place. Then to Day 3's Morning Session for the (M) 400m heats (took nap in the stands), (W) Hammer Throw Final, (W) 400m heats & the (M) 10K Final. Our seats for the AM session were at the 100m start line beneath the orbed broiler - a nice location for catching the finishing kicks of the men's 10K.

Got to experience B. Andersen and J. Kassanavoid go 1 & 3 in the Hammer Throw. Andersen had a monster throw of 78.96. The men's 10K was our sweet sweaty covet; wonderful to witness. Those at front ran something like a 4:01 final mile. Cheptegei of Uganda won in 27:27.43, followed by Mburu (KEN) in 27:27.90 & Kiplimo (UGA) in 27:27.97. Fisher was less than 1 sec behind the winner, finishing 4th in 27:28.14. My personal favorite, Klecker, was 9th in 27:38.73; McGorty would round out the American contingent - 12th in 27:46.30.

I think we farted around between house and sponsored houses and got a free hot dog from Under Armor before the PM Session, which held the (M) 110m Hurdles Semi's, (W) Pole Vault Final, (W) 100m Semi's, (M) 400m Hurdles Semi's, (M) Shot Put Final, (M) 1500m Semi's, (M) 110m Final & the (W) 100m Final. Woof - what an incredible day of SPORTS. To keep it simple, I'll focus on Finals - 

Our seats this round was on the final bend, below the big screen. Nageotte over Morris for 1-2 in the Pole Vault. Nageotte's 4.85 is the WL; Morris completed the same height, but did it in more tries. I've been digging the Shot Put for the past year; hard not to love Crouser & Kovacs & Awotunde. Crouser's 22.94 was a Championship record, and Awotunde's 22.29 was a PB.  The men's 110m Hurdles were Weird. First Parchment (JAM) suffers injury in the warm-up. Then Brathwaite (BAR) is DQ'd with a false start, Then Allen is DQ'd in what would erupt as one of the biggest story lines of the Champs - "punished for being too fast!" People Magazine even covered it. One-thousandth of a second faster than allowable reaction time. Despite the drama, the results held Americans 1-2 with Holloway in 13.03 & Cunningham in 13.08 in the abbreviated field. The women's 100m Final was Jamaicantastic - hard to view from our seats, but with the aid of the screens & some Jamaican fans around us we got to experience the Jamaican sweep - Fraser-Pryce (10.67 - WC CR), Jackson (10.73 - PB), Thompson-Herah (10.81). The Jamaican's are enchanting. If you feel a little sad, pull up Fraser-Pryce's smile at WC's, it warms you. 

Dinner at McMenamin's, again; we requested the booth by the creepy art - several rounds of margs, Jamaican coconut curry with squash, cabbage, bell pep, carrot, celery, onion, black beans, avocado, mango chutney & cilantro. 

It was a major day of sports. On the walk back we probably admired artichokes again. 

Monday, July 18 - DAY 4

6:15 am - Women's Marathon - I had run from our place to our same viewing spot/s as the day previous, meeting up with Jay, Dillon & Sierra; a lot more engrossed with the Ethiopians & Kenyans pushing the pace & to see Hall, Bates & D'Amato work together. Though it would have been favorable for an American to stick their nose into the lead pack, you can't argue our depth - Hall led the American's with her 5th place finish in 2:22:10, Bates in 7th with a PB in 2:23:18 & D'Amato (who only found she'd made the team 2 weeks prior), 8th in 2:23:34. Gebreslase won in 2:18:11 (WC CR), 2nd was Korir in 2:18:20 (PB) & 3rd was Salpeter in 2:20:18. 

Colossal coffees at Dutch Bros. Ranchero burrito at Burrito Boy (hours are illusive). Dillon & Sierra had to head back to Bellingham for work; Jay and I would spend the rest of our time in Eugene as a merry dyad. 

I had to work a full day from the bnb, ran a double at lunch, finished work, then had some canned cocktails with Jay. Walked to the stadium for the PM session, grabbed drinks. Our final seats were just past the 100m start line. Day 4's PM included: (M) 200m heats, (M) High Jump Final, (W) 200m heats, (W) Triple Jump Final, (M) 3K Steeplechase Final & the (W) 1500m Final. 

The (M) Steeplechase was a little weird, a lot tactical: slower start, camera man standing in lane 1-2 in the first lap, a lot of lead-exchanging, then El Bakkali took off at the final 200m, winning in the 8:25.13 - the slowest time in the history of the championships. I will always be into hearing about/watching Jager compete. I think he's had a terrific re-entry since track trials for Worlds; he ended up finishing in 6th in 8:29.08, followed by Bor in 8th in 8:29.77.

The (W) 1500 concluded Day 4's events. It was the opposite of the Steeple vibes - a sassy seminar on speed (the eventual 1st-3rd finishers ran a sub-60s first lap). 2-time Olympic gold medalist Faith Kipyegon won in 3:52.96. Tsegay was 2nd in 3:54.52 & Muir was 3rd in 3:55.28. Sinclaire Johnson was the first American to cross - 6th in 4:01.63; McGee was 10th in 4:03.70. 

Jay & I met up with K. Rhode & J. Marcus for pizza @ The Wheel Apizza Pub; had a deliciously buzzed conversation over pizza & drinks before Jay & I took a long stroll to a lame bar where the bartender felt faux-brazen. We ordered 2 shots of medium-shelf tequila and a corona to share before walking back home against a black Eugene night. 

Tuesday, July 19 - DAY 5

We were not pleased to be leaving; considered the possibility of extension. The notion of work & money is quite displeasing when it seems to detract from/combat with that space of chosen experience. We wanted more & all - the traveling groupies swan song. A last run on Pre's Trail with Jay, a last Poor Boy Burrito via Burrito Boy. Jay took me up to Pre's rock, which was different than I'd imagined. a basalt outcropping on a hillside off Skyline Blvd. It felt humble. And it felt really maddening & unsensible. It made me sadmad, but there was a peaceful pulchritude to its own ozone, the way the trees were arching overhead, the peekabooviews between of the valley, the way the houses mostly seemed styled in their original structures, the quiet, and perhaps how you could feel each passerby's respect & consideration, like moment's of silence so loud it creates an enrapture, a bubble. 

I worked on the drive back home with Jay ever-kindly my sweet chauffer.