Athletics

EUGENE, Ore. — The local organizing committee for the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 is excited to announce Legend the Bigfoot as the official mascot for this summer’s event. Watch Legend’s reveal video here. The 18th edition of the World Athletics Championships will be held on U.S. soil for the first time, taking place July 15–24 at the reimagined Hayward Field at the University of Oregon. “We started with many concepts — some fictional, some wildlife, others abstract — and then narrowed it down to a select few,” said AJ Gaulton, Fan Experience Director of Oregon22, LLC. “After group deliberation, workshops, and feedback from focus groups, one character stood above the rest with a clear vision for meeting each key deliverable identified.” The Pacific Northwest has long been known for its natural beauty, culture, uniqueness, and love of sport. There has also long been the legend of a mysterious creature roaming the region that came to be known as Bigfoot. Legend became the logical choice for the WCH Oregon22 mascot as a character whose personality will be an extension of the event itself — tying together the location of Oregon, the venue of Hayward Field at the University of Oregon, and the sport of track and field. “Legend represents the region, appeals to a wide audience, is unique, and upholds the ‘big’ and ‘legendary’ monikers of the event,” said Sarah Massey, CEO of Oregon22, LLC. “Additionally, the physicality of Bigfoot being powerful, swift, and nimble falls in line with the very nature of the sport.” Legend will marry together a sense of place and a personification of the sport; by engaging with fans and participants in creative and meaningful ways, Legend will not just be a character but a tool to help develop the sport of track and field in the United States. Legend will be fun, mischievous, playful, and larger-than-life. “Legend has often wanted to interact with humans and be social, contrary to the common lore about the Bigfoot species,” Gaulton said. “But when would be the right time for Legend to emerge and who would accept them? “Only something so special, so unmissable, so iconic, and so big as the first World Athletics Championships on U.S. soil could lure Legend into the public arena.” Tickets for WCH Oregon22 can be purchased here. Some sessions have already sold out, with tickets selling fast for other sessions. The complete schedule of events can be found here.