Road Trip! Day 4 Part 4 - U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials

Hayward Field can hold more than 20,000 spectators, by the time the trials started it seemed almost full to capacity! Some of the events we saw included the steeplechase, the men's pole vault, men's discus, women's 200m semifinals, and the men's and women's 5000m finals. This was unlike any sporting event I had ever attended, it even topped any concert or big ticket event I have ever attended. Especially for the longer distance runs, everyone was silent before the race started, and cheered loudly and clapped in unison for each lap the was run. There were not specific athletes I was rooting for, but the supportive cheers sure made a difference in their performances. The most exciting race for me was the Men's 5000m finals (which is 12 1/2 times around the track), with Galen Rupp and Bernard Lagat coming in first and second. Anna and Sam were so well-behaved for the several hours we stayed at Hayward Field. We are already looking ahead in 4 years to attend the next U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials!