Willesden Sports Centre, London, UK

Rekortan M (Re-Topping) and Polytan SMART at Willesden Sports Centre, London

THE POWER OF SPORT

Willesden Sports Centre is a fitness, leisure and community centre in North London. In Willesden, a neighbourhood not far from the famous Wembley Stadium, there is an expansive sports complex that includes the whole of King Edward VII Park. The complex encompasses two swimming pools, a fitness studio, a sports hall with a 60-metre indoor track and four courts, as well as steam rooms and saunas. For outdoor sports, there is an athletics facility with six 400-metre lanes and an integrated sprinting track with two additional lanes, along with facilities for various jumping and throwing disciplines.

All the lanes of the athletics track were renewed with Rekortan M in brick red in the course of a full renovation in 2022. The consistency of the Rekortan M tread strikes the perfect balance between excellent shock absorption and maximum acceleration – properties that are appreciated by both middle-distance and short-distance runners alike. All the running and run-up tracks were refurbished using the re-topping process. This means that used and worn synthetic surfaces are completely technically and cosmetically restored. Re-topping is not only an extremely economical and explicitly sustainable solution for the renovation of sports facilities. It also allows the existing elastic substructures to remain in place, rather than being disposed of.

The athletics facility at Willesden Sports Centre was also fitted with two Polytan SMART systems for the precise measurement and documentation of training performance. On one of the running tracks and sprinting tracks, athletes can conduct agility tests, jumping tests, endurance tests and sprint tests. Multiple Polytan SMART timing gates are integrated in the lanes.

The athletics facility at Willesden Sports Centre can be booked by schools and clubs. Among them are the Willesden Triathlon Club and, in particular, the Track Academy. At the latter, former international athletes, coaches, mentors and teachers are of the belief that sport and education have the power to change people’s lives for the better. Under the motto “The Power of Sport”, they support disadvantaged young people to realise their potential and develop in a positive way. This includes building their self-confidence, affirming their self-worth and helping them to find the courage to acquire new skills and to plan and shape their own future.

Currently, almost 400 young athletes train at the Track Academy at Willesden Sports Centre every week. We share this belief in the social power of sport, especially for disadvantaged children and young people, and are proud to support the goals of the Track Academy with our surfaces and our Polytan SMART system.