* The new Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee/USA Today
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The World Under 20 Championships are coming to Hayward Field in 2026.
The World Athletics Council announced on Monday the selection of Eugene as the host city of the world's top junior competition, along with two other future sites, ahead of the World Championships on Aug. 19 in Hungary.
The World U20 Championships, which welcome the top under-20 track and field athletes from around the globe, takes place every two years.
Lima, Peru was announced as the World U20 site in 2024. San Diego won the bid for the inaugural World Road Running Championships in 2025.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said the process to determine a site-city for each event was an arduous one.
"We are grateful that so many great cities around the world are interested in hosting our events and we're delighted with the quality of the candidates we have had to choose from to host these World Athletics Series events over the next three years," Coe said. "The standard of bids is so high that we would like to encourage those who were not successful today to continue talking to us about staging future events."
Eugene will host the World U20 Championships in 2026 for the first time since 2014.
After the tearing down of the old Hayward Field -- which did not meet specifications for World Championship competition -- and the building a new state-of-the-state stadium, Eugene has become one of the U.S.'s premier sites for track and field.
TrackTown USA, an organization that hosts track and field events in Eugene, was involved in the bid-process.
"TrackTown USA is ecstatic to once again partner with USATF and the University of Oregon in welcoming the global track and field family to our Eugene and Springfield communities," TrackTown USA CEO Michael Reilly said. "Hayward Field will serve as the perfect theatre for showcasing the sport's emerging talent. This event will continue building the legacy from WCH Oregon22, and further our ongoing commitment to serving the world's best athletes."
