Serena Morones for The Oregonian/OregonLive

By Ken Goe

Some odds and ends ...

-- Word continues to filter out about the size and scale of the Hayward Field renovation project, the cost of which I'm hearing now tops $200 million.

That is a long way from an original estimate I saw of $60 million. And it's probably in line with the apparent decision to tear down completely the existing stadium and replace it with something University of Oregon Foundation president and CEO Paul Weinhold calls "spectacular."

There is some angst in Oregon's track and field community about the loss of the historic east grandstand, and some concern about replacing a stadium that now has about 8,500 permanent seats with one that might have as many as 14,000.

The concern would be whether the new stadium will be too big and too grand for anything it will be called upon to stage after the 2021 World Outdoor Championships depart, and whether that will lead to the loss of synergy between fans and athletes popularly known as Hayward Magic.

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Serena Morones for The Oregonian/OregonLive

Since Nike co-founder Phil Knight apparently will put up most of the money for the project, he gets the deciding vote.

Writes DyeStat's Doug Binder: Enough hand-wringing, the next incarnation of Hayward Field will be great.

-- The Oregon Ducks get the outdoor season started in earnest tomorrow night amid the plethora of distance races at the Stanford Invitational.

The Ducks had a subpar indoor season by their standards. But the first set of outdoor rankings by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association have the Oregon men No.1 and the UO women No. 2.

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The high rankings are a nod to what should be the Ducks' strength in the mid-distance and distance events. Tomorrow will give us an early indication of how accurate that is.

OK, more links:

Devon Allen will return to Hayward Field for the Prefontaine Classic.

Omar McLeod and Devon Allen will highlight the Pre Classic 110 hurdles.

Writing in 3 Wire Sports, Alan Abrahamson comes to the defense of the USOC after criticism of USOC inaction in the abuse scandals of gymnasts and of the fat salaries of USOC executives.

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USATF Board chairman Steve Miller and Nike executive John Capriotti are honored by Cal Poly SLO, which names athletics facilities for them.

Martin Fritz Huber for Outside: It's time for the rules martinets in track and field to lighten up.

The Oregon State Beavers will compete in two events this weekend in the Bay Area.

The next step in triathlete Gwen Jorgensen's conversion to distance running will come at the Stanford Invitational.

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Friday's men's 10,000 will be a featured race at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival.

Some field event records are in jeopardy at this year's Stanford Invitational.

SEC hammer stars square off in the Texas Relays.

Portland State's Donte Robinson wins the Boxer Combined Event decathlon going away.

Corban's Michael Schmidt finishes second in the decathlon at the Boxer Combined Event.

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Concordia's Giovanni Brown places third in the decathlon at the Boxer Combined Event.

Pacific's Chris Butcher earns a spot in the Northwest Conference Combined Events Championships.

The University of Portland's Maya Murphy-Cook finishes fifth in the Boxer Combined Event heptathlon.

Work on Mt. SAC's track stadium apparently continues, allegedly in defiance of a court order.

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Ryan Vail begins his taper for the Boston Marathon.

From Portland to Rochester, Brooks gears up for the Boston Marathon.

Distance great Marla Runyan was legally blind, but she didn't let that stop her.

Running has been a passion for Ethiopian distance star Tirunesh Dibaba.

Geoffrey Kamworor switches his attention to the track.

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High jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim riffs on the highs and lows he has experienced in the sport.

A look at five top Kenyans who switched nationalities.

The trial of former Arizona throws coach Craig Carter begins with arguments over the definition of intimacy.

Mark Murphy of the Auburn Villager: The late Mel Rosen was more than a coach, he was a life teacher.

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How men with eating disorders slip through the cracks.

Elizabeth Egan for Fast Running: In cross country, equality isn't necessarily fair or progressive.

Hannah Calvert for Oiselle: At the start line, everything is possible.

Vern Gambetta for hmmrmedia.com: To move forrward, maybe it's time to take another look at the good old days.

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One story of how running has helped cope with loss.

The House of Run guys discuss the World Half Marathon Championships, the Hayward Field renovation and more on their latest podcast.

The front page for LetsRun.com.

The links package from Track & Field News.

The links from Duck Sports Now.

The links from Beaver Sports Now.

-- Ken Goe

kgoe@oregonian.com | @KenGoe

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