Athletic track & jogging
All-weather synthetic running tracks for athletics and jogging. Rubberised surfaces that give runners consistent grip and bounce in any weather.
What is an all-weather running track?
An all-weather running track is a rubberised, artificial surface for track and field athletics. It gives athletes a consistent surface to run on, whatever the weather. Older tracks were made of dirt, rocks, sand or crushed cinders, and many of these are still in use around the world.
Artificial surfaces made from rubber and asphalt began to appear in 1954. A synthetic warm-up track was built for the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, and many more followed in the 1960s.
In the mid-1960s, 3M developed Tartan, the first commercial polyurethane running surface. It was originally conceived for horse racing. Olympic shot put champion Bill Nieder helped develop and sell it. The 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario, were the first global championships run on such a track, and all-weather surfaces have been the standard ever since. A temporary Tartan track used for the 1968 US Olympic Trials at Echo Summit, California, was later moved to South Tahoe Middle School, where it lasted almost 40 years. An original Tartan track is still in place at San Jose State University.
Track surface systems
Track surfacing is now an industry with many manufacturers. Well-known systems include:
- Stobitan: installed worldwide since 1991, available in several systems.
- Tartan: the brand's legacy continues as Tartan APS.
- Chevron 440: a popular surface in the mid-1970s.
- Rekortan: invented for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich and still licensed worldwide.
- Eurotan.
- Martin ISS: a 1970s development, now sold under the manufacturer's name, Beynon.
- Plexitracs.
- Mondotrack.
Some systems spread small rubber granules and bind them in place with polyurethane or latex.
World Athletics, the governing body for international track and field, publishes detailed regulations for tracks used at Global Championship and international meets.
Since the early 1980s, most championship tracks have been made by the Italian company Mondo. Mondotrack is a prefabricated rubber carpet, cut to size and tightly seamed along the lane lines. This gives a more consistent bounce (energy return) and traction. The tight tolerances also demand a higher standard of construction around the track, which makes it one of the most expensive systems. Mondotracks were used at the 1996 Atlanta (since removed from the Centennial Olympic Stadium), 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing, 2012 London and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Conica, based in Switzerland and formerly owned by BASF, is now part of the Serafin Group (Munich, Germany). Its surfaces were used at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in Berlin, where Usain Bolt improved his 100 metres and 200 metres world records, and at record-hosting venues such as the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
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Common questions
What is a synthetic running track made of?
Most are rubberised surfaces, either polyurethane systems or rubber granules bound with polyurethane or latex. Some, like Mondotrack, are prefabricated rubber sheets seamed together on site.
When were all-weather tracks first used at the Olympics?
A synthetic warm-up track was built for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. The 1968 Mexico City Olympics were the first global championships held on a Tartan polyurethane track.
Who sets the rules for competition tracks?
World Athletics publishes the regulations for tracks used at Global Championship and international meets.
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