Hayward Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Eugene, Oregon, United States. It is located on the campus of the University of Oregon, which also owns the facility. It is named after Bill Hayward, head coach of the university’s track and field department from 1904 to 1947. The 400-meter track and field facility has nine lanes. Hayward Field was built in 1919 as the home of the university’s American football team, the Oregon Ducks football team. In 1921, a six-lane running track was added for the Oregon Ducks Track & Field team. After Oregon Ducks football moved to Autzen Stadium in 1967, Hayward Field became a pure track and field stadium.
In 2015, the city of Eugene was selected by the IAAF, now World Athletics, as the host of the 2021 World Athletics Championships. For this reason, the stadium was completely renovated starting in 2018; a transparent roof was installed and a nine-story tower shaped like the Olympic torch was built at the northeast end of the complex. The costs are entirely covered by private donations. It is practically a “jewel box” dedicated to athletics, with visitors’ stands that, however, cannot exceed 15.000 guests.
This athletics jewel box is the venue for the 21st World Athletics U20 Championships, taking place from Wednesday, August 5, 2026, to Sunday, August 9.
The two track walking events will take place today, Saturday, August 8th, at 9:30 a.m. local time (women) and 10:10 a.m. (men).
This year’s new feature is immediately noticeable: both track events will be contested over the 5,000m distance.
For the women’s category, this is a return to the early championships (between 1986 and 1998, the U20 World Championships for women were held over the 5,000m), because starting with the 2,000m edition in Santiago, Chile, women had also competed, like men, over the double distance.
The author is personally not very enthusiastic about this choice, particularly for a purely technical reason.
In one, or at most two years, those walkers who continue to compete in the senior categories will have to compete in the new half-marathon walking distance (21,0975 km), and the category jump will be much steeper than it was previously, from the 10.000m to the new half-marathon (which, remember, replaced the 20 km). We fear that the dropout rate for this specialty will be higher in the future than it was in the past. On the other hand, we fully realize that television demands a reduction in the technical time to offer a product that doesn’t bore the public.
The choice is certainly not easy, and therefore we reluctantly accept this decision, even if sharing it leaves a bitter taste in our mouths.
Women’s 5.000m track walk
A total of 40 athletes show up at the start, representing 29 Nations, which speaks volumes about the popularity of the walking discipline among young people around the world. Just to make a comparison with the corresponding event in the 5,000m run, only 27 athletes lined up at the start.
The start was at a pace of 4:10/km, with a group of Serena Di Fabio (ITA), Chloè Le Roch (FRA), Imen Saii (TUN), Ibuki Hori (JPN), Harumi Tabata (JAP), and Yutong Yang (CHN) immediately in the lead.
After 1,000m, the leading group passed in 4:10.11 and were still together.
After six minutes of racing, Serena Di Fabio forced the pace and gained a dozen meters.
She didn’t know it yet, but the race was probably going the way she had hoped: a lead race without too many opponents to worry her.
The judges immediately realized that the Tunisian athlete’s pace was completely out of line with the regulations, and the yellow paddles began to rain down on her.
At the 2.000m mark, Di Fabio leads (8:17.73), followed by Yang (CHN), Saii (TUN), and Le Roch, all within a span of less than 4 seconds.
Meanwhile, the jury has already made its decisions on Imam Saii’s (TUN) walk, who is already loaded with two red cards.
With six laps to go, Di Fabio leads in 10:47.6. At 3,000m, Di Fabio remained in the lead (12:26.76), followed by Saii (TUN) at 13.18/100 seconds, then Yang (+13.20) and Le Roch (+13.68).
After 11:31 minutes of racing, Saii received her third red card, and shortly after (12:14 minutes) the Penalty Zone official attempted to impose the required 30-second stop. Unfortunately, Chloe Le Roch happened to be passing by her at that moment. She saw the stop paddle in front of her, but she didn’t see a red card on the Posting Board and correctly she didn’t stop; not even the Tunisian stopped in the Penalty Zone!
The Penalty Zone official attempted to stop the Tunisian athlete in the next lap (after 14:00 minutes of racing) when there were 4 laps to go. Saii continued again and the story repeated itself for three more laps (after 15:47 and 17:32 minutes of racing by the Chief Judge and after 19:17 minutes of racing by the Penalty Zone Official).
Meanwhile, Yang and Tabata also received two red cards.
At the 4,000m mark, Di Fabio was the undisputed leader (16:41.21), followed by Le Roch (17:04.88 +23.67), Saii (17:05.17 +23.96), and Yang (17:05.84 +24.63).
The most important story of the last 1000m is the fight for the silver and bronze medals as the Italian has an unbridgeable advantage.
Meanwhile, the spectators in the stands, who had witnessed the Tunisian athlete’s vain attempts to force her into the Penalty Zone five times, are beginning to whistle. They continue to whistle at 4,400m when Saii has been overtaken by both Le Roch and Yang. The latter has a slim lead of 1.19/100 of a second over the Tunisian, who is now in fourth place.
Saii doesn’t give up, and at the bell she catches Yang, pulling away by 1.23/100 of a second. I
But the incredible is yet to happen!
With 200m to go, Saii is in second place (20:30.54 +26.74) and has also overtaken Le 
Roch (20:31.43). The Frenchwoman reacted with all her remaining strength and at 100 metres to go found herself once again in second place (+24.88) behind Di Fabio until the finish line.
Saii crossed the finish line in third position.
Yang crossed the finish line in fourth place but already had the bronze secured as Tunisia’s Imen Saii had earlier received three red cards and was subject to a time penalty.
Imen Saii (TUN) was disqualified by the Referee for more Rules:
TR 54.7.3: Failing to enter in Penality Zone
TR 7.1: Unsporting manner
“It is a big motivation knowing that Italy has so much history in race walking. I have the opportunity to meet and train with some good Italian race walkers, it is an honour,” said Di Fabio. “I am going to celebrate with my team, I am actually the team captain. It is a big responsibility. I wanted to do this role in the best way possible and I think I did.”
Arrival order
1.- Serena Di Fabio (ITA) in 20:57.57 (Championships Record)
2.- Chloe Le Roch (FRA) in 21:17.92 (National U20 Record)
3.- Yang Yutong (CHN) in 21:31.99
4.- Ibuki Hori (JPN) in 21:36.62
5.- Harumi Tabata (JPN) in 21:57.99
6.- Beatrice Palmonari (ITA) in 21:59.41 (included 30″ Penalty Zone)
7.- Gina Torres (ESP) in 22:13.30
8.- Veronika Tkachuk (UKR) in 22:25.39
Men’s 5.000m track walk
A total of 41 athletes show up at the start, representing 28 Nations. Here too, the popularity of the race walk among young people around the world is a point of great interest. Compared to the corresponding men’s 5,000m run, only 23 athletes lined up at the start.
(from World Athletics web-site by Jess Whittington)
Australia’s Isaac Beacroft roared to a world U20 5000m race walk record of 18:40.37 on the fourth morning of competition at the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26 on Saturday (8).
The 19-year-old turned the tables on China’s Pu Huajia, who beat the Australian to the U20 title at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Brasília in April. Timing his finish to perfection, Beacroft picked up the pace again on the final lap and Pu couldn’t respond, finishing three seconds back in an Asian U20 record of 18:43.70.
It was a second major win for Beacroft in just over a week as he won the 10,000m race walk at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on 31 July.
The drama continued beyond the finish line as Japan’s Naoto Roppongi completed the distance in third place but was handed a time penalty for three red cards and so bronze went to Italy’s Nicolò Vidal in a PB of 18:56.19. After that 30-second penalty, Roppongi finished fourth in a PB of 19:24.43.
Ireland’s Séamus Clarke finished fifth in 19:28.27, India’s Nitin Gupta was sixth in 19:32.30 and Mexico’s Osvaldo Miramontes set an area U20 record of 19:34.07 in seventh.
It was a second major victory for Beacroft in just over a week as he won the 10.000m race walk at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on 31 July. He improved on his fourth-place finish at the 2024 World U20 Championships in Lima, adding this title to the U20 title he claimed at the World Race Walking Team Championships in Antalya, also in 2024. Despite his nation’s race walk success, Beacroft became the first athlete from Australia to win a race walk title at the World U20 Championships.
“Coming into the race, I thought that it was going to take a world record performance to win and it did,” said Beacroft, who surpassed the 18:50.00 that had been set as the time to beat for a world U20 record. “So, I was prepared for that in my head and I knew that I was capable, I have seen it in my training. Pu Huajia is a lovely man, he is very good to compete against. He is very gracious in winning and very gracious in losing as well. So, I think that is going to be a very long rivalry. I am super excited to continue to do it.“
Arrival order
1.- Isaac Beacroft (AUS) in 18:40.37 (National U20 Record)
2.- Pu Huajia (CHN) in 18:43.70 (Asian U20 Record)
3.- Niccolò Vidal (ITA) in 18:56.19
4.- Naoto Roppongi (JPN) in 19:24.43 (included 30″ Penalty Zone)
5.- Seamus Clarke (IRL) in 19:28.17
6.- Nitin Gupta (IND) in 19:32.30 (included 30″ Penalty Zone)
7.- Osvaldo Miramontes (MEX) in 19:34.07
8.- Seo Beom-su (KOR) in 19:37.37
Photo gallery by Francesca Grana/Fidal and Sportmedia Agency
