Youth groups encouraged to join WCH Oregon22 in welcoming the world to Oregon

EUGENE, Ore. — The local organizing committee for the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 is offering youth programs across the country the chance to welcome the world to this summer’s event as part of its Making Tracks Youth Engagement Program. Making Tracks is inviting schools, youth program groups, or youth track teams to help welcome the world to Oregon by taking on a leg of the World Wide Welcome Youth Relay (WWW).

Each leg of the relay will be dedicated to one of the 200-plus global track and field teams that will be making their way to WCH Oregon22. The first 200 registered groups will be assigned a nation to welcome; receive a relay leg kit including an official WWW relay baton, banners, and flags; and have the chance to submit a welcome message for their paired nation that will be shared with athletes in the athlete village at WCH Oregon22.

Each leg of the WWW is one mile in length, but groups can determine how their participants partake - groups can jog together, race together, or even break the one-mile leg into a sprint relay.

The World Wide Welcome will take place over the 100-day countdown to the WCH Oregon22, from April 8 to July 14. As part of the registration process, interested groups will select a date for their participation during this window. Registration closes March 21. 

The finale of the World Wide Welcome and 100th day of the relay will take place as a community leg at the July 15 opening session of the event at the reimagined Hayward Field at the University of Oregon. Learn more and register here.

The World Athletics Championships Oregon22 will take place July 15–24, 2022; this iteration will mark the first time the event takes place on U.S. soil. General event information can be found here. 

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About Oregon22, LLC 

Oregon22, LLC is the local organizing committee managing the 18th edition of the World Athletics Championships. The World Athletics Championships Oregon22 will be held at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon and will be delivered in partnership with USA Track & Field. It is the first time the competition will take place in the United States, with 2,000 athletes from more than 200 nations expected to compete July 15–24, 2022. Oregon22, LLC is committed to delivering an unmissable experience that will showcase the State of Oregon and the sport of track and field globally.