Oregon Prepares To Host World Athletics Championships

EUGENE, Ore. – More than 2,000 athletes from 200 nations are coming to Eugene in July to compete in the World Athletics Championships.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown says the state is ready to make history, “This is the first time ever that the United States will host this prestigious event…The beauty and bounty of Oregon is special enough to be highlighted on an international platform.”

More than 200,000 people are expected to visit Hayward Field from July 15th to July 24th.

And Oregon22 Executive Director Niels De Vos says many more will be watching across the globe, “There will be an estimated 6,500 hours of live television coverage…the event will be seen by close to a billion people globally. This event is a 10 day T.V. and social media promotion for the state of Oregon. It will position Oregon as a place to visit, a place to live, and a place to do business.”

The event is expected to rake in millions for the state.

Travel Oregon’s Todd Davidson says a study back in 2015 came up with the price-tag, “(The study) Estimated the economic impact of the event…will actually wind up totaling $138 million dollars in total output.”