World Athletics Championships
Staging an unmissable, unexpected and unconventional media kickoff
The Challenge
For the first time ever, the IAAF World Athletics Championships landed in the United States in 2022 — with Eugene, Oregon, as host. Every two years, this global stage brings nearly 2,000 elite track and field athletes from more than 200 countries to compete at the highest level. Originally set for 2021, the event was pushed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
WPR teamed up with the World Athletics Championships organizing committee, USA Track & Field (USATF), and the University of Oregon to launch the campaign with impact. The effort required seamless coordination among multiple stakeholders — and the extra challenge of capturing American media attention outside the narrow Olympic spotlight.
The Goal and Strategy
To elevate the World Athletics Championships as a nationally significant event, we launched with a media kickoff at the University of Oregon. The event featured high-profile speakers including Oregon Governor Kate Brown, UO President Michael Schill, Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis, and USATF athletes fresh from the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Qatar.
In addition, we organized multiple breakout sessions led by partners including Travel Oregon, Travel Portland, Sport Oregon, and the University of Oregon, along with an athlete mixed zone and other tailored opportunities.
Our PR team segmented media into three tiers — white-glove, one-on-one outreach, and broad-based — ensuring each group received event news in a strategic format designed for maximum impact and perfectly timed coverage.
1
Day
186
Unique Placements
368
Unique Social Shares
2K
Top Track & Field Athletes Representing 200+ Countries
The Results
The buzzworthy press event delivered — with both attending journalists and remote outlets requesting follow-up B-roll and imagery. (Given the relatively remote setting of Eugene, we knew we had to create the news and then share it nationwide.)
Our WPR team staged a Vogue-style photo shoot with athletes and captured an editorial-worthy moment of Governor Kate Brown being lifted by hammer throw star DeAnna Price. The one-day event generated 186 unique PR placements and sparked 368 social media shares.
Together, these efforts transformed the World Athletics Championships from a local press event into a nationally recognized moment, setting the stage for continued media momentum.
Coverage
