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  6. article_body => "<p>Tracktown USA will never be the same. It only keeps growing not just on a national scale, but global.<\/p>\n<p>It is a big deal that the United States, and more specifically Eugene, Oregon, landed the 2021 World Track and Field Championships at historic Hayward Field.<\/p>\n<p>Former Oregon Track and Field star and Olympian <strong>Ashton Eaton<\/strong> joins the latest Talkin\u2019 Ducks Podcast with host Jordan Kent.<\/p>\n<p>Here is an idea of the scale of this event:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The World Championships was a plan that was in the minds of folks who were building up the Oregon track program, Hayward Field and the \u2018Tracktown\u2019 idea years ago. And so, in order to get to that point, the 2008 Olympic Trials had to be had, 2012, 2016 and now 2021. So these things were all not random. They were leading up to this moment of bringing the entire world of track and field to Hayward Field, to Eugene, Oregon. -- Ashton Eaton<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/talkin-ducks\/embed?playlist_type=latest\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<p>It was not&nbsp;a coincidence. It was not random. It was pre-planned and thought out to have Eugene be the home to such a prestigious world showcase.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>It\u2019s one of the biggest sporting events in Oregon history making it one of the biggest deals, I think in sport and Oregon history. Oregon is solidifying itself as definitely a track and field Mecca in the United States, but I think it\u2019s starting to become almost a sport Mecca too where you see investment in these facilities, investment in these global events. \u2014 Ashton Eaton<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The event will start on Friday, August 6, 2021 and will end on Sunday, August 15, 2021.<\/p>\n<p>If you drive by Hayward Field today as it stands today, you may notice that it looks drastically different. The facility is getting a face lift, which comes at an abomination to some but a positive change to others. Some may even ague that if Hayward did not go through these modern renovations, the World Championships wouldn\u2019t have even considered Eugene a host site for the event.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Fans will get a first-class experience at the new Hayward Field in Eugene. \ud83d\udc4c<br><br>Take a behind-the-scenes look at how <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/OregonTF?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@OregonTF<\/a>&#39;s new home will be like the &quot;Carnegie Hall&quot; of track stadiums tonight on Pac-12 Playlist at 7 PT \/ 8 MT. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/WWOOKkjrX7\">pic.twitter.com\/WWOOKkjrX7<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Pac12Network\/status\/1244756005197459457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 30, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n \n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The track surface at Hayward is complete! Huge thank you to the Hayward Field project team and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BeynonSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@BeynonSports<\/a> for their ongoing efforts to make this the world\u2019s finest track facility during these complicated times. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoDucks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#GoDucks<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/WJFC3OBMSg\">pic.twitter.com\/WJFC3OBMSg<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Robert Johnson (@Run4Ducks) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Run4Ducks\/status\/1243661946349477888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 27, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n \n<p>But Tracktown USA is only getting better and better.<\/p>\n<p><em>You can listen to the full <strong>Talkin\u2019 Ducks Podcast<\/strong> below:<\/em><\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/talkin-ducks\/embed?playlist_type=latest\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n"
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Oregon Ducks

Oregon Ducks

Tracktown USA will never be the same. It only keeps growing not just on a national scale, but global.

It is a big deal that the United States, and more specifically Eugene, Oregon, landed the 2021 World Track and Field Championships at historic Hayward Field.

Former Oregon Track and Field star and Olympian Ashton Eaton joins the latest Talkin’ Ducks Podcast with host Jordan Kent.

Here is an idea of the scale of this event:

The World Championships was a plan that was in the minds of folks who were building up the Oregon track program, Hayward Field and the ‘Tracktown’ idea years ago. And so, in order to get to that point, the 2008 Olympic Trials had to be had, 2012, 2016 and now 2021. So these things were all not random. They were leading up to this moment of bringing the entire world of track and field to Hayward Field, to Eugene, Oregon. -- Ashton Eaton

It was not a coincidence. It was not random. It was pre-planned and thought out to have Eugene be the home to such a prestigious world showcase.

It’s one of the biggest sporting events in Oregon history making it one of the biggest deals, I think in sport and Oregon history. Oregon is solidifying itself as definitely a track and field Mecca in the United States, but I think it’s starting to become almost a sport Mecca too where you see investment in these facilities, investment in these global events. — Ashton Eaton

 

The event will start on Friday, August 6, 2021 and will end on Sunday, August 15, 2021.

If you drive by Hayward Field today as it stands today, you may notice that it looks drastically different. The facility is getting a face lift, which comes at an abomination to some but a positive change to others. Some may even ague that if Hayward did not go through these modern renovations, the World Championships wouldn’t have even considered Eugene a host site for the event.

But Tracktown USA is only getting better and better.

You can listen to the full Talkin’ Ducks Podcast below: