TrackTown, USA: A beautiful sunny day in TrackTown! Maybe I didn't mention this, but our friend Carlos (and his posse - Maurice & Phil) have flown back to their jobs/lives/family and have sent Charles (also from Atlanta) as his proxy. We have adopted Charles, just as we adopted Carlos last year, and are sitting with him each evening in the stadium.
Charles is a runner, but this is his first trip to Eugene and his first Olympic Trials. He needed a lot of education! We gave him the same tour we gave Carlos - including a visit to the spot near Hendrick's Park where famed Oregon runner Steve Prefontaine died in an automobile accident in 1975. Fans continue to leave momentos at Pre's death site. It's kinda creepy, and with so many athletes in Eugene lately due to NCAAs (kids really worship Pre) and the Olympic Trials, there is a lot of "stuff" in front of Pre's Rock.
Randomly, Charles was wearing a Peachtree Run tee, and the other visitors at Pre's Rock were also from Atlanta. (Honestly, I can't tell you how many people from Atlanta we have met at this track meet. Crazy.)
We also took Charles to Alton Baker Park so he could find Pre's Trail for his long run tomorrow morning. These long, inter-connecting bark dust loops are a great place to walk or jog. During a big track meet, it is also the perfect spot to see your favorite middle/long distance runners getting in a little run before their event on Historic Hayward Field. The trails are mostly shaded, and you also get to jog past the University of Oregon football arena - Autzen Stadium.
To finish our tour, we took Charles to lunch at the North Bank McMenamins Brew Pub. He loved their beer and burgers, and we scored a beautiful table along the Willamette River. Doesn't get any better in Oregon in the summer. (I did slip-in a few random facts about hazelnuts, the Willamette River being a rare north-flowing river, how hops are grown in Oregon, on and on and on. Poor Charles.) And then, we spent the afternoon at Historic Hayward Field - with Charles - watching the meet.
A fantastic meet today, but more and more semi-finals and rounds, and only one final. But it was a big one - the men's 110m hurdles. Grant Holloway won in a world-leading 12.86. Freddie Crittenden and Daniel Roberts will joing Holloway to represent America in Paris. All three finalists have the Olympic standard time of 13.50.
Grant Holloway was so entertaining after his victory in the last event of the evening. He gestured that he could not hear us cheering, so we cheered louder. I love the engaging athletes. The victors who just walk off the track without even acknowledging the fans, or thanking them for cheering, are a big bummer to me.
Hey, guess what? Tomorrow we do it all again! More and more finals over the next two days. The US team for Paris is looking so good, everyone! Can't see what happens this weekend.
Until my next update, I remain, your happy correspondent.
Olympic Trials Information:
Meet schedule
Where to watch
Meet results
Campground Information: Premier RV Resorts - A bit confusing, as we have a frequent-flyer discount card, but we would be paying about $78 per night (we have several nights free on this visit with our punch card). The park is full-service, with every amenity (though the pool is teeny) and is very dog-friendly - with a dog wash. Small shop with limited groceries, RV supplies, Duck stuff, ice cream and ice. It is right on I-5 so quite noisy. The most conveniently located campsite for a visit to Eugene, but is isn't really very convenient. We stay here all the time. Like, really, all the time.