Eugene Grade - A +

Absolutely. No relief from the elements. Yes it's new but how could they mess that up!? Unless you are in the upper level 2 you are exposed. Sunshine and rain dominate the stands which in the old stadium wasn't an issue. There's no overhang helping. That really only covers underneath. But hey at least the fans get to experience everything like an athlete.

So I looked it up. There were exactly two, a male hammer thrower and a female heptathlete.

Does anybody know why the events were all held during the daytime as opposed to at night the way they usually are in major championships? Hayward Field has lights so it's not because of a lack of lighting. Time zone for European TV? Even held in the day, events were in the very early morning hours in Europe.

I'd give it a solid A.

The Cons were

* Lodging. We stayed less than an hour out.

* Concessions at the stadium: impossible to buy water, coke, beer, real food, etc. Horribly run, thought through. Need to learn from NFL, MLB, big business. They basically had water stations expecting people to bring their own bottles.

* Locals. Lots of disheveled meth/opiod/poor/obese people representing USA as the first line of defense (parking staff, entry, etc.).. if my first time in America, I would have been a bit concerned.

* Fine Dining. Not many options if I wanted to splurge and entertain VIPs. Track Town Pizza pepperoni best in biz, but not after a week.

Eugene - Solid A

I had never been before. Pleasant town, uncrowded even through the event because the students aren't around, easy to get around. The venue was terrific, and I loved the old-school atmosphere, with no dancing girls, no announcer telling us to cheer, the athletes hanging around with the fans. (My buddies chatted up Ashton Eaton.)

Logistics - D

I understand completely why the stands were half full. The tickets were solely in the hands of speculators, who mistakenly priced this event like it was 10 straight nights of the Rose Bowl. When I looked at ticket prices in advance, the going rate for evening sessions was $1k for the straightaway, $500 for the backstraight, and $250 for the crappy aluminum bleachers on the far end zone. Hotel prices were $600 per night for 3rd-rate chains within Eugene, $300 for 3rd-rate chains an hour away from Eugene.

The market couldn't bear it. My hotel, originally priced at $600, but dropping its prices rapidly as the event approached (I got in for $300), was half full. The same held true for tickets. The implied demand, signaled by the nosebleed prices, was fake. It was never there. The buyers never did come down to the prices that the sellers wanted, until the games had begun, and then it was too late, because Eugene is in the middle of nowhere and the potential buyers had already given up on the idea of attending.

A shame.

Lodging was always going to be an issue . Eugene isn’t exactly Disney World in hotel options . And I can’t imagine how much a suitable place near the track 9 months ago when it needed to be booked .

The real question is how many athletes got their first taste of fine legal cannabis Oregon offers.

I love Oregon cannabis

Lodging was less of a problem than tickets. Now I realize that I should have booked a tour, because the tour agency would get tix at their face value. Then it would mark them up somewhat... but nothing like the markups in the secondary markets, on the ticket-exchange websites. It was a mass delusion ... none of the ticket sellers wanted to charge realistic prices, they all sat there, waiting for the gold to rain down on them.

Grade F.

It was a disaster from the start. Very few fans, national federation staff, and World Athletics staff employees showed up. They stayed home. It was an insult to the athletes to be subjected to a substandard small village, high school sized stadium, no facilities, establishments closed at 9 PM, hostile neighbors banned parking for miles around, no night life, belligerent accommodations tripled prices, no hospitality from local city leaders. Please don't ever do this to our athletes again.

I rate '09 Berlin best ever but Eugene comes close,

Was there. Can confirm.

No parking for miles around? I went for four sessions and parked for free inside of a half mile each day. Better than going to events at most major stadiums.

Okay, Eugene as a host is one thing, World Athletics officiating is another. That horrible Devon Allen call was not made by the hosts, but by a team of officials who likely would have been the same or mostly the same no matter the location of the event.

This is absolutely true. It was impossible to stay in the sun on some days. I had trackside seats on the backstretch and we had to find shade. We never returned. The concourse were filled with people doing the same. It wasn’t sold out, but it wasn’t “poorly attended” on evening sessions as people have tried to make out.

Now that Oregon22 is history, I’ll share my perceptions as someone who was physically in Eugene and not just watching it on TV.

The Bad/Mediocre

Yes, Eugene is a bit off the beaten path. It is expensive to fly directly to and Portland is a two hour drive away. In a time of high gas prices and exorbitant rental car rates, that put a crimp on budgets and might have been a factor in some out-of-towners decision to attend. Lodging was also a limited and expensive proposition. There were plans early on for more hotel development and to allow tourists to rent dorms/student housing apartments, but the COVID pandemic put the kibosh on those plans. Sympathies for those that could not find a place to sleep but, if you really wanted to attend, you bit the bullet and planned in advance.

Daily attendance, especially morning sessions, was sparse in the early days of the meet. Tickets were a bit overpriced for most and the reseller’s market was both confusing and overvalued. More seats filled as the days went on, but I noticed that some ticket holders were being selective about what sessions they watched or would roll in and out for the events that they wanted to see. Many fans would be in their seat for a race or two, then duck out to the concourse to mingle, cool down, or get concessions or just leave afterwards. Having lived in L.A., it kind of reminded me of Dodgers fans: arrive in the second inning, people watch, then leave after the seventh inning to avoid traffic.

Many domestic distance fans are…something. I’ll just call this the ESPN/Let’s Run.com Effect. They come armed with knowledge (good) but cannot help themselves as they become vocal pundits to all around them (bad). Like a lame ESPN daytime show, throughout the races they constantly spout what’s right and what’s wrong with nearly everyone in the race, who’s deserving or not, who went home devastated, etc. IMHO, it was a bit off putting at times and some takes were just outright stupid. My impression was that they can’t just watch a race without interjecting their “expertise”. You could see some
very bemused looks on the faces of international fans, especially those holding credentials. Really funny? High school boys talking smack about elite competitors within earshot of their coach/teammates. Testosterone and stupidity are an entertaining mix! Thankfully, no one blurted out baseless doping accusations.

The Great/Good

Eugene and the U of Oregon campus were a great setting! As others have stated, what other sport hosts a championship where the fans can mingle with the medalists? Both inside and outside of Hayward, it was easy to get pictures, autographs, and to interact with current athletes and legends of the sport. The vibe was very friendly and casual. It was easy to get around, food options were plentiful, traffic and parking were very easy–free parking if you took minimal time to find it. The riverfront fan festival was a nice touch with live entertainment. Restaurants and bars were not overly crowded and The Wild Duck was hopping as usual.

International fans are amazing! Friendly, enthusiastic, and very well versed. Most of the fun that I had last week was being around travelers that were having the time of their lives. They watch every event, cheer for all of the athletes, and had a better perspective on how their favorites would perform. I got much joy watching Australians getting geeked up about someone making a final for the first time and Japanese fans cheering on an athlete that would not survive their prelim round than I did seeing a favorite win an
expected medal. This experience brought home what is great about the sport and galvanized how depressing it is to listen to some pudgy 50 something whining for 20
minutes about how some American “got screwed” because he found himself boxed in
with 100 meters to go. Really? Germany had a horrible meet, but their fans were loud and supportive. If you ever get the chance, sit amongst a bunch of cheering Jamaicans and Ethiopians and try not to smile.

The marathon course was fantastic for spectating! I rented a PeaceHealth bike share rig and got to see quite a bit of racing both days. A lot of locals turned up on their bikes and rode along as well. Loads of fun! It was a little disappointing that more neighborhood people didn’t cheer from their driveways and yards but the 6:15 AM start had a lot to do with that. Our women ran well and they looked like they were enjoying themselves with lots of smiles and acknowledgement of the fans.

Overall, a great once-in-a-lifetime event for Track Town! I get the fact big cities offer much in the way of cheaper airfares, more lodging options, and greater offsite entertainment options. What made Oregon22 special was the intimacy afforded by a small city and a college campus atmosphere. Nowhere else will you rub shoulders with the best in the world. No other venue is set up for fans to watch elites warming up next to public streets – no ticket required! Where else can you go for a morning jog near your hotel and share the
trail with world record holders and Olympic champions. I made new friends and memories that I will cherish for a lifetime. If you missed out, that is very unfortunate. After this wonderful ten days, it will be hard to return to the sterile feel of massive stadiums and a clear divide between the athletes and the fans.

I know this thread is about the physical event, but having watched from home, I wanted to chime in on the TV coverage. I scheduled recordings via my DVR (youtube tv, fwiw), and was pretty diligently keeping track most of the time. I hate the way the networks show highlights in a non-linear order, and wish there was a list of which events were covered in the coverage, so I could pick and choose which recordings to watch. This is the way coverage needs to go in the future, IMHO.

I couldn't agree more. Came down for the final two days and I'm not quite grasping the "empty stands" comments. The place felt energized, even compared to the old Hayward Field I knew. Femke Bol was sitting just a couple seats down, talking to/taking selfies with fans. The "international" feel was greater than the only other world championships I had attended (Edmonton 2001). I came in expecting to be disappointed (based on what I read on these boards) and left really re-energized. Right up there with the best event I have ever attended.

The only downside I saw was the elements. The direct sun/heat was intense.

Yes, that part was fantastic. My former decathlete friends -- OK college competitors, never remotely near national class -- realized a lifelong dream by chatting with Ashton Eaton and getting a selfie. I mingled with various Olympians, just walking near or through the stadium. It was very much a family atmosphere, not in the faked-up, commercial sense of Disney family, but rather in the traditional sense of people gathering for a festival.

I was there. There were some empty seats. There were also a lot of people standing in the concourse and entry ways to stay out of the heat. I was sitting along the north end. A lot of people were standing as there was some shade.

Also, many empty seats were in the section designated for athlete seating. Again, a lot were standing behind me.