From the beginning of the project to redesign Hayward Field, capturing the audience’s energy and dedication to the sport and channeling it to the athletes was a driving force.
The curving, cupped canopy was designed to amplify the crowd’s cheering and deliver it to athletes across the track and the infield. The asymmetrical bowl shape of the stadium is tipped to put the majority of fans near the finish line. Seating runs up close enough to the track that spectators could practically reach out and touch the athletes.
“It’s a big stadium, but it doesn’t feel like a big stadium,” said Jeff Yrazabal, design principal for SRG Partnership, the architectural firm that designed the stadium. “This is an intimate place. Everyone’s on top of the action, and all of that benefits the athletes when they feel that energy and emotion from everyone in the place.”
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, there won’t be many fans on Friday, April 2, at the first meet at Hayward Field since the NCAA championships in June 2018. But athletes from 18 teams, including Oregon, will compete in the Hayward Premiere with a limited number of guests and news media in attendance.
Want to get a feel for it from afar? Check out this video from the University of Oregon, which takes you behind the scenes.
Fewer than 30 people from Oregon’s 106-person roster have actually competed at Hayward Field, Oregon coach Robert Johnson said.
“They don’t know what that Hayward magic is,” he said. “Now we’ve talked to them ad nauseam and they’ve seen pictures and they’ve seen videos but, ultimately, they haven’t felt it themselves.”
While most track and field venues are forced to share the space with other sports such as football, Hayward Field was built specifically for track and field. “Every surface, every decision and every square foot of the facility is for training and the athlete,” Yrazabal said.
From the 5% wheelchair-accessible ramp that doubles for hill training to the track lanes that span the length of the concourse, these little details are easy to see.
Underneath the stadium, a world-class facility provides athletes with a place to train year-round. A six-lane practice track, designated areas big enough and high enough for throwing, jumping and pole vaulting, and a 3,200-square-foot weight room fill the innards of Hayward Field. Athletes also have access to sleep pods, massage therapists, hydrotherapy, anti-gravity treadmills and nutrition centers.
The amenities came together through interviews with athletes to find what they needed to perform at their highest. For many, the time commitment of sports often leaves little time for day-to-day errands. With this in mind, SRG and the team decided to include such amenities as a team theater, lounge, barbershop and even a manicure and pedicure salon.
“The attention to detail is uncanny,” Johnson said.
Details and Easter eggs are scattered throughout the stadium. For instance, the stadium’s address is 1530 Agate St, a nod to Phil Knight’s personal record in the 800 meters, which is 1:53.00. A concession stand is named Ashton Eatins, after Oregon’s two-time Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete Ashton Eaton.
“Oregonians who are connected to track and field, Hayward and the University of Oregon are unlike any other fan base anywhere in the world,” Yrazabal said, “because they know track and field. They know the athletes, they’re connected, they understand.”
