Olympic Race Walk Trials A Win for Springfield, OR

The U.S. Olympic Trials Race Walk that occurred Saturday, June 26^th 2021 was a win for the Springfield, OR community! With this being the first Olympic trial event hosted in Springfield, the community rallied together to create nothing short of a truly welcoming experience for all. Cheering pods lined the course through downtown, supporting each and every athlete as they looped around the streets for a total of 20km. Race walk competitor Allen James stated there was “great community support” in Springfield, which was a welcome change for athletes, who are used to smaller crowds. 

To celebrate this historic event, the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a hospitality courtyard with IEQ Technology at the start/finish line of the competition, directly across from the Springfield City Hall Plaza. Fans kept cool with refreshments provided by Sheild Bistro & Catering Kitchen, winners were gifted beautiful flower bouquets courtesy of The Flower Market, kids created their very own wood Olympic medals and racing finger puppets, and all had the opportunity to purchase commemorative Race Walk posters, as well as limited edition Springfield t-shirts. 

“I just wanted to say thank you. As a parent you always want your kids not matter what age, to have amazing experiences. I think we all know Race Walk is not the most well known of Track and Field events and on the heels of the pandemic, I could not imagine how the 20km trails were going to look. Most of our athletes are used to racing in the states to little pomp or circumstances wo while it was Olympic Trials, I will honestly say, I wasn’t expecting a ton…especially in light of COVID, but WOW you all blew me away. What an amazing event you put together…It may seem small to you but it was big to racers.”

Thank you to all the community partners who helped make the Race Walk a success: Willamalane Park and Recreation District, Springfield Public Schools OR, City of Springfield OR, Springfield Utility Board, Discover Downtown Springfield OR, TrackTown USA, USA Track & Field, Springfield Public Library, Springfield Development & Public Works, Springfield History Museum, and Springfield OR Police Department.

Congratulations to all the athletes, and thank you to all the volunteers and fans who attended. Thank you to our Hospitality Courtyard sponsor Parr Lumber Company, to IEQ Technology for hosting us, and to all the business participants who donated snacks, gifts, and more: McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center, All American Pet, Advance Cabinet Designs , Eugene, Cascades & Coast Conventions – Travel Lane County, AAA Oregon/Idaho, ZoomCare, Island Park Chiropractic, and Eugene Magazine. 

Springfield Chamber Hospitality Courtyard Sponsor: Parr Lumber

If you missed your chance to buy a “I <3 Springfield” T-shirt at the event, they’re still available for purchase! Contact the Chamber for more details: email info@springfield-chamber.org or call 541-746-1651.

Willamalane: With a 1PASS, kids 18 and younger can explore healthy and fun activities at destinations around Springfield and Eugene. For more information on a Willamalane 1PASS Click Here

The Springfield Public Library always has a calendar full of events for readers in the Springfield community. Register now for the Summer Reading Challenge, and view more upcoming activities and events HERE!

Sheild Bistro & Catering: Join the Springfield Chamber and Sheild Bistro & Catering on Thursday, July 15^th to celebrate their grand opening in the Whiteaker neighborhood with a ribbon cutting ceremony! Click here for more information!

Parr Lumber: Join us Thursday, July 22^nd  for our first Business After Hours of 2021 at Parr Lumber. Click here to register!

Read about the 20km Race Walk winners here!

Photos by Elora Kelsh, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce