The medals awarded to athletes during the World Athletics Championships won’t actually have any metal in them. 

It also won’t take long for the winners to get their hands on their prize.

The first world outdoor track and field championship held in the United States is set for July 15-24 at Hayward Field with a gold, silver or bronze medal going to the top-three finishers in 49 different events.

But instead of traditional die-cast medals that often include just limited amounts of the relevant precious metals (gold, silver or bronze), Oregon22 medals, though normal in shape, size and weight, are made from Corian, a durable material that will be etched with seven different designs.

"It was imperative that our medals were true to the unique, unmissable, unconventional nature of the first World Athletics Championships on U.S. soil," said Niels de Vos, executive director of local organizing committee Oregon22. "Months of cutting-edge creative thought and experimentation into the latest manufacturing techniques went into the medals, designed and fabricated right here in Oregon.” 

One side of each medal is designed to look like a cross-section of a tree, while the other side features landscapes showcasing the seven regions of Oregon — the Willamette Valley, Portland, Mount Hood and the Gorge, the Oregon Coast, Eastern Oregon, Southern Oregon and Central Oregon.

A statement from Oregon22 said the goal of the medal design was, “to infuse each award with a sense of individuality and pricelessness — essentially, to heighten each medal moment with an opportunity for surprise and delight as the athlete discovers the distinct scene represented on their medal. Second, to highlight the beauty of the entirety of the state of Oregon, from its mountains and rivers to its coastline and forests.”

Eugene-based creative agency AHM Brands and Portland-based fabrication company Steelab worked in collaboration with Oregon22 to create the medals, which will be handed over to the respective winners immediately after their event ends, allowing the athletes to celebrate and commemorate the moment with their medals in real time.

The medals will be turned in for engraving before being returned to the athletes during a traditional podium award ceremony. 

Former Oregon distance star and four-time Olympian Galen Rupp is entered in the World Athletics Championships for the first time since 2015 and the first-time ever in the men’s marathon, which takes place the morning of July 17.

It will be his first race since dropping out at the 5K mark of the NYC Half Marathon in March.

In an interview earlier this week with reporter Sarah Lorge Butler from Runner’s World, Rupp said an MRI after that race in New York revealed a herniated disc and pinched nerve in his back. He’s been rehabbing with physical therapy, as well as core stability and muscle strengthening exercises. 

Rupp, who lives in Portland, also had a mild case of COVID-19 in June.

Rupp, 36, won Olympic silver in the 10,000 meters during the 2012 Summer Games in London and won bronze in the marathon in Rio in 2016. Last summer he finished eighth in the marathon in Tokyo.

But a successful performance next weekend in his former college town would be something else, he said.

“Certainly the goal is to go in there and compete for the win,” Rupp said. “That’s what it’s always been ever since I found out Eugene was going to have the championships. It will be a pretty incredible day if I can pull it off. There’s some unbelievable athletes that are going to be there. It’s going to be really difficult.”

Former Oregon coach and associate athletic director Vin Lananna, who is in his sixth year as president of USA Track & Field, will conduct three public events during the World Athletics Championships.

Described as Presidential Listening Tours, Lananna will participate in three one-hour walks along Pre’s Trail where he’ll listen to suggestions and ideas from the public about track and field. 

The walks will begin at 6:45 a.m. July 19, 21 and 23, starting and ending at the Autzen footbridge, which is also known as the Dave and Lynn Frohnmayer Pedestrian Bridge.

Follow Chris Hansen on Twitter@chansen_RG or email atchansen@registerguard.com.

For more sports coverage, visit registerguard.com. Want more stories like this? Subscribe to get unlimited access and support local journalism.