UCD track to close!!

woodchopper · 11-10-2012 11:11AM

Pisco Sour wrote: »

I had a walk around it when I was home. In no way is it usable for any runner with the tiniest aspirations.

You obviously have never been to Iten, Kenya so.

catch.23 · 11-10-2012 09:50PM

ergo wrote: »

Are people actually running on the UCD track at all these days..?

I was down near there on the bike last month - it is accessible - looks like you'd need to use the outside lanes - I couldn't see what it's like the whole way around though and, as people mentioned, some gravel or grit filling in the previously dug trenches....is it usable..?

It was usable until about 2 weeks ago, I used it a few times, its been blocked off again since though, looks like a building site at one end now.

catch.23 · 11-10-2012 09:53PM

Pisco Sour wrote: »

I had a walk around it when I was home. In no way is it usable for any runner with the tiniest aspirations.

It was fine a few weeks ago when dry, yeah there was sand on it, and you needed a bit of imagination to find the inside lane at one end (there were feet scuff marks in the sand lining it out), but I woudn't go as far as ''unusable''.

ergo · 14-10-2012 05:47PM

ok, thanks for those replies

needed to do an interval session the other night and Irishtown was booked up - didn't chance the UCD track in the dark though, based on the above! - will try take a look in daylight hours over the coming weeks

have there been any developments on the task force and the new track funding etc...?

this whole affair really stinks and almost a year later I'm still just as angry as I was on day 1 about it

catch.23 · 15-10-2012 12:01AM

ergo wrote: »

ok, thanks for those replies

needed to do an interval session the other night and Irishtown was booked up - didn't chance the UCD track in the dark though, based on the above! - will try take a look in daylight hours over the coming weeks

have there been any developments on the task force and the new track funding etc...?

this whole affair really stinks and almost a year later I'm still just as angry as I was on day 1 about it

I walked past this evening, and it was dark and i couldn't see properly, but it looked like they had tarmaced over a section of it over the weekend. Now i couldn't see clearly, but it appeared like that. If so, doesn't look much like they're planning to develop it.

footing · 15-10-2012 11:06AM

ergo wrote: »

ok, thanks for those replies

needed to do an interval session the other night and Irishtown was booked up - didn't chance the UCD track in the dark though, based on the above! - will try take a look in daylight hours over the coming weeks

have there been any developments on the task force and the new track funding etc...?

this whole affair really stinks and almost a year later I'm still just as angry as I was on day 1 about it

If you don't mind running on grass, the GAA pitch(450m) at Roebuck is superb.

TFBubendorfer · 15-10-2012 11:24AM

ergo wrote: »

needed to do an interval session

I know this is off-topic, but you do not necessarily need a track to do an interval session.

ergo · 15-10-2012 10:20PM

footing wrote: »

If you don't mind running on grass, the GAA pitch(450m) at Roebuck is superb.

It was last Thursday - there had been a lot of rain :eek: - the footpath I eventually ran on was completely flooded at one point

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

I know this is off-topic, but you do not necessarily need a track to do an interval session.

True - and in the end I used the long stretch of path (beside the few remaining grass pitches) between Clonskeagh gate and the T-junction for the session - just the dog-walkers, cyclists, amblers, stop-to-chatters and slightly dark uneven surface to contend with - but it wasn't a bad session :rolleyes:

will have a closer look at the old track when daylight allows me

ecoli · 16-10-2012 02:40PM

Afraid its not tarmac is just filled in with stones. They also have crowd control barriers on these dug areas (though admittedly these have been pushed off on the outside lane by someone)

Doing alot of my running out there these days and have found the sports pitches by new sports centre are pancake flat even with a bit of rain its not too bad.

Certainly better than the way track is now and the pitches are well lit most of the time

ergo · 18-10-2012 09:22AM

recent updates ^

unfortunately the track is completely blocked at the far right corner and, to pass all the building materials or whatever they are, a runner would have to go on the grass on the inside

Timmaay · 18-05-2013 02:06PM

Great article from Lindie here: http://lindienaughton.com/belfield-track-a-personal-plea/

ecoli · 18-05-2013 02:21PM

Good to see that it is still in the minds of some people. The "task force" set up to secure funds did exactly what it was supposed to....... Deflect negative public opinion until things died down

pconn062 · 18-05-2013 03:27PM

Was just about to post the same link, good article from Lindie alright, sums up the average runners feelings about the whole thing.

ergo · 12-11-2013 04:11PM

bumping this yet again almost 2 years on

any further updates on this or on plans for new track?

I see new track didn't feature in the sports capital funding scheme announced earlier this year

RayCun · 12-11-2013 04:34PM

lots of building equipment on the track at the moment - but not track building equipment as far as I can see

Murph_D · 12-11-2013 07:09PM

Ran past on the adjacent trail recently. It looked like the track was being used as a storage area for building materials for other development on the campus. A sad sight.

Testosterscone · 10-11-2017 02:29PM

http://www.universityobserver.ie/news/fine-gael-councillor-submits-motion-to-prioritise-replacement-of-belfield-athletics-track/

Glad to see it hasn't gone away

Plenty ignored emails asking for updates on the "taskforce" progress over the last few years :rolleyes: The pity is that the amount of money raised by the car park could have bought for 2-3 new tracks at this point

Chivito550 · 10-11-2017 02:32PM

What I can’t understand is that only half of it has been turned into a car park. If they are going to destroy an iconic athletics venue, then do it right, and turn the entire bloody thing into a car park, rather than letting half the track just rot away in misery.

footing · 10-11-2017 02:46PM

Chivito550 wrote: »

What I can’t understand is that only half of it has been turned into a car park. If they are going to destroy an iconic athletics venue, then do it right, and turn the entire bloody thing into a car park, rather than letting half the track just rot away in misery.

Am prepared to bet that UCD will argue that they need the ex-track space for a multi-storey car park or urgently needed student accommodation. AFAIK, there are plans to build such accommodation on the gorgeous GAA pitch at the Roebuck side of the campus.

Testosterscone · 10-11-2017 02:52PM

footing wrote: »

Am prepared to bet that UCD will argue that they need the ex-track space for a multi-storey car park or urgently needed student accommodation. AFAIK, there are plans to build such accommodation on the gorgeous GAA pitch at the Roebuck side of the campus.

Dunno how they can claim that 6 years on, half the track is a car park, the other half is storage area for building materials. In that time there has been a new apartment block built with another to come in both Roebuck and there Smurfitt Campus as far as I am aware, all the while the proposed new site of a track is still a temporary carpark (around 15 years after the first announcement of the plans to move as far as I am aware)

footing · 10-11-2017 03:01PM

Testosterscone wrote: »

Dunno how they can claim that 6 years on, half the track is a car park, the other half is storage area for building materials. In that time there has been a new apartment block built with another to come in both Roebuck and there Smurfitt Campus as far as I am aware, all the while the proposed new site of a track is still a temporary carpark (around 15 years after the first announcement of the plans to move as far as I am aware)

If you can figure out how UCD "thinks" (not sure that's the right word; see no great evidence of "thought" in anything they do), you're a better man than I am gunga din -:)

Testosterscone · 10-11-2017 03:27PM

footing wrote: »

If you can figure out how UCD "thinks" (not sure that's the right word; see no great evidence of "thought" in anything they do), you're a better man than I am gunga din -:)

Plenty of thought - $$$$$$$$$$

Rent prices are going up and up so they are following the money (always have to be fair)

Glencarraig · 11-11-2017 06:44PM

The remaining bit of the track is gone and is now a complete carpark.

Murph_D · 11-11-2017 08:41PM

The trend on most campuses is to build over sports facilities and relocate pitches etc elsewhere. DCU relocated all pitches to far side of Ballymun Road. Trinity have facilities in Santry. What about UCD - anything similar, and would it have track potential? Tradition and history rarely counts for much when it comes to developers and carparks, unfortunately.

Testosterscone · 11-11-2017 08:57PM

Murph_D wrote: »

The trend on most campuses is to build over sports facilities and relocate pitches etc elsewhere. DCU relocated all pitches to far side of Ballymun Road. Trinity have facilities in Santry. What about UCD - anything similar, and would it have track potential? Tradition and history rarely counts for much when it comes to developers and carparks, unfortunately.

Land was designated for the track almost 15 years ago.

Here is the current layout of sports grounds on the campus.

Edit: ommitted the Tennis Courts and Swimming pool located either side of the Sports Centre

donaghs · 14-11-2017 02:41PM

Murph_D wrote: »

The trend on most campuses is to build over sports facilities and relocate pitches etc elsewhere. DCU relocated all pitches to far side of Ballymun Road. Trinity have facilities in Santry. What about UCD - anything similar, and would it have track potential? Tradition and history rarely counts for much when it comes to developers and carparks, unfortunately.

UCD relocated from town to a greenfield site, Belfield. The point of which was to have space for all the facilities?

There's still plenty of space for a running track. As mentioned above, land was designated for it. I guess its just not a priority for the college. Which is sad considering everything else they spend money on.

Murph_D · 15-11-2017 01:49PM

donaghs wrote: »

UCD relocated from town to a greenfield site, Belfield. The point of which was to have space for all the facilities?

There's still plenty of space for a running track. As mentioned above, land was designated for it. I guess its just not a priority for the college. Which is sad considering everything else they spend money on.

Relocated in the early 1960s - more than 50 years ago!

Macy0161 · 16-11-2017 04:47PM

donaghs wrote: »

As mentioned above, land was designated for it. I guess its just not a priority for the college. Which is sad considering everything else they spend money on.

It's a packed car park any time during term. I suppose the running track have a well bedded in base if or when it ever happens....

RayCun · 25-01-2018 05:23PM

Anonymous donor to fund new running track in UCD

It won’t be on the original site at the Belfield end of the campus, but situated in what in recent years has been designated the Sports and Recreation Character Area of the 158-hectare campus, close to the Clonskeagh entrance, alongside the existing sports centre, Olympic size swimming pool, the national hockey stadium and the UCD Bowl.

It will also be an eight-lane, tartan surface, IAAF-approved track, which like the originally facility itself, will act for training and competition purposes, for both track and field events. Work on the new track is due to get underway as soon as possible, and while it may not be entirely complete for next year, will be ready for 2020 at the latest.

Testosterscone · 25-01-2018 05:35PM

RayCun wrote: »

Anonymous donor to fund new running track in UCD

Haha was just searching for this thread to pop it back up.

Made my day to see this finally being restored and enough funds to keep it maintained

UCD track to close!!

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