A delegation from USA Track & Field is headed to Monaco this month in an effort to bring the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Track Championships to Portland.
Organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations, the championships would be a three-day event at the Oregon Convention Center, with a custom-built track and seating for as many as 8,000 people.
TrackTown USA, the organizing committee for many track and field events in Eugene, would organize the 13-event championships if the event were awarded to Portland. Birmingham, England, is also bidding for the event.
In an article posted to TrackTown USA's website, spokesman Curtis Anderson pointed to a 50-plus-year history of indoor track in Portland, going back to a 1961 meet at the Veteran's Memorial Coliseum organized by legendary University of Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman.
That indoor track meet was held for four decades.
The event is usually held in March, and supporters hope to have both competitions and a fan festival at the convention center.
"It's a blank canvas," Anderson said in an interview Monday. "It's this big open space. The organizers felt they could put in whatever they wanted – we could dream big, and all this space and would make for a really compelling environment for a world championship track meet."
There's precedent for holding that large of an event at the Oregon Convention Center. In 2010, a political rally drew an estimated 10,000 to the center. And the OCC has hosted sports tournaments in the past, including volleyball and gymnastics.
Oregon Convention Center director Scott Cruickshank declined to comment on the bid, but released a statement.
"The Oregon Convention Center is excited to be considered as the venue for such a great event," Cruickshank said in his statement. "Portland is an excellent destination for international travelers and the team at OCC is committed to providing an outstanding experience for all. "
The track would be 200 meters, roughly half the size of the standard 400 meter athletic track used at Hayward Field in Eugene for outdoor meets.
According to Anderson, the championships would draw more than 600 athletes, plus officials, media, support staff and others. The IAAF meeting in Monaco is scheduled for Nov. 15.