The World's worst athletics track

Pisco Sour

You think the facilities in Ireland are bad? Take a look at what is available in Lima, Peru

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RoyMcC

To be fair it only looks half-finished.

There's nothing sadder than a neglected sports field. Worst I've seen was the track in Ballina a few years back with nature having reclaimed all but the inside lane or two of the cinder track. It was clearly a nice little facility at one time (and indeed might have been restored by this stage.)

myflipflops

Not a million miles better than Brother Colms one in Kenya. That's worked out OK!

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BeepBeep67

A few more tracks like that an a few of the IMRA folks might dust off their spikes!

petermijackson

The track in Ballina has been reclaimed - it's still a cinder track but not bad by all accounts

ocnoc

Make use of what you have.

I think people get too hung up on what they don't have. Make use of what we have and train your ass off. It'll get you a hell of a lot further than saying we don't have this or that and not training because we don't have the facilities.

A rival of mine is based in Sweden, he has access to top class facilities on his door step - indoor and out door track. The Lindigoloppet XC, miles and miles of forest trails.

Big deal. I'll bust my ass in training using what I have here. When race day comes, it doesn't matter what facilities he has. I still have to race him. I won't get (or want) a head start.

Use what you have to the best of your ability.

BornToRun88

Alsaa by the airport is pretty bad. It's like running on concrete. Still not the worst in Ireland but the worst of my tracks I've trained or ran on.

TFBubendorfer

What exactly is the problem?

I just did a few laps on a dirt track near Ballybrack that looked worse than that. And guess what, running on it was perfectly fine.

shels4ever

I didn't think they looked too bad at all . Would have loved to have a track like that near me when i was growing up.

Pisco Sour

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

What exactly is the problem?

I just did a few laps on a dirt track near Ballybrack that looked worse than that. And guess what, running on it was perfectly fine.

The problem is that that was the only track I could find in the whole of Lima, with the exception of the one insaide the National Stadium which the general public do not have access to.

Its no surprise that Peru do not produce any half decent athletes with facilities as bad as that.

Krusty_Clown

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

I just did a few laps on a dirt track near Ballybrack that looked worse than that. And guess what, running on it was perfectly fine.

I know that track pretty well. It's not bad, but do the Peruvians have to put up wit burnt-out cars, no lighting (except late at night, when the glow of cider-party bonfires provides some illumination), and spitting Llamas? Well, ok, maybe the last one..

The track doesn't actually look that bad for training (obviously not very usable for racing). I remember visiting a track in the North West of Norway last year that had buckled so badly, it could be described as a hilly course.

TFBubendorfer

04072511 wrote: »

Its no surprise that Peru do not produce any half decent athletes with facilities as bad as that.

Kenya's tracks are mostly in shocking condition and it doesn't exactly stop them from becoming decent enough runners. The main difference is that they won't let poor excuses like that stand in their way.

RayCun

Peru is a poor country, without (afaik) a history of wide participation in athletics. Most people are going to take up the sports that already have a presence in their culture, and the sports that offer a profitable career. Why on earth would we expect Peruvians to have great athletics tracks or produce brilliant runners? Would anyone find it odd that they don't have badminton halls in every town?

thirtyfoot

ocnoc wrote: »

Make use of what you have.

I think people get too hung up on what they don't have. Make use of what we have and train your ass off. It'll get you a hell of a lot further than saying we don't have this or that and not training because we don't have the facilities.

A rival of mine is based in Sweden, he has access to top class facilities on his door step - indoor and out door track. The Lindigoloppet XC, miles and miles of forest trails.

Big deal. I'll bust my ass in training using what I have here. When race day comes, it doesn't matter what facilities he has. I still have to race him. I won't get (or want) a head start.

Use what you have to the best of your ability.

Thats all true but lets say you are a high jumper or a hurdler. In snow or even ice, a track is pretty much no use. So in these cases you really are missing out on key training due to poor facilities or bad weather and no indoor facilities. I would agree that much of your training can be done in any conditions but as events get technical you need facilities and conditions. I'd be very much of the type who says you should never use poor facilities as an excuse but in some events it can be very, very, very difficult to train in crap weather or facilities.

RoyMcC

Correct TF - blooming runners on here forget that running is only one branch, though an integral one, of athletics. With the Irish/British climate it is incredibly beneficial to have good indoor (or at least all-weather) facilities.

I agree that middle/long distance runners ought to be able to train on most anything.

TFBubendorfer

thirtyfoot wrote: »

Thats all true but lets say you are a high jumper or a hurdler. In snow or even ice, a track is pretty much no use. So in these cases you really are missing out on key training due to poor facilities or bad weather and no indoor facilities. I would agree that much of your training can be done in any conditions but as events get technical you need facilities and conditions. I'd be very much of the type who says you should never use poor facilities as an excuse but in some events it can be very, very, very difficult to train in crap weather or facilities.

Ok, that's true. Runners don't need high end facilities but other sports do and I don't think I'd fancy being a high jumper here in Ireland.

Pisco Sour

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

Kenya's tracks are mostly in shocking condition and it doesn't exactly stop them from becoming decent enough runners. The main difference is that they won't let poor excuses like that stand in their way.

Its not all about distance running though. Take a look at that long jump runway, its nearly got as much sand on it as the damn pit!

stanthony

i wonder do they have to pay to use that track like athletes do in santry!!! fair enough they improved facilites there but its a national arena, it should be free so as to promote the sport as a whole