15 National Championships run on Rekortan in 2024

Polytan tracks pave the way to Paris from around the world

This year, Rekortan tracks set the stage for 15 National Championships in the hotly contested lead-up to the pinnacle of 2024’s track and field scene: the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

This year alone Rekortan was the track surface of National Championships in Australia, Bolivia, Cyprus, Denmark, Ecuador, Fiji, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Qatar, Serbia, Tonga, Thailand, and the UK.

With those athletes competing not only for national titles, but also for spots on their NOC’s delegation to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, extra excitement marked the events held around the globe.

“18-year-old sprint sensation Sebastian SULTANA… was crowned Australia’s fastest man with a 10.27 (-1.2) run in the men’s 100m.”

The wonder Down Under

The 2024 Australian Athletics Championships, held at the SA Athletics Stadium in April on Polytan’s innovative Rekortan G13, saw impressive performances. Fourteen athletes made the cut for Paris at the event, including 18-year-old sprint sensation Sebastian SULTANA, who was crowned Australia’s fastest man with a 10.27 (-1.2) run in the men’s 100m. For more action from these Championships, read on here.

Having recently entered into a partnership with Athletics Australia, Polytan will help ensure that Australia’s athletes train and compete on the best Rekortan surfaces, as the collaboration seeks to improve Australia’s facilities footprint to better the sport.

“Rekortan was the track surface of National Championships in Australia, Bolivia, Cyprus, Denmark, Ecuador, Fiji, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Qatar, Serbia, Tonga, Thailand, and the UK.”

Kiwi athletes on the rise

In New Zealand, Zoe HOBBS won gold over 100m in a time of 11.13 at the NZ National Championships, held in Wellington in March. As the first woman from Oceania to crack 11 seconds for 100m (10.97 in 2023, on a Rekortan track at Sydney Olympic Park in 2023), she will certainly be looking to bring her best to Paris, where she will be the first Kiwi woman to compete in the 100m at an Olympics since 1976.

Manchester showcases the best of British

The NZ meet also highlighted the importance of Rekortan tracks for field athletes, namely the country’s top woman pole vaulter, Eliza McCARTNEY, who will go head-to-head against Team GB’s Molly CAUDERY, who claimed gold in pole vault at June’s UK Athletics Championships in Manchester.

At the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, McCartney had to settle for the silver to Caudery’s gold (4.80m), so this Olympic re-match is shaping up as one to watch.

Caudery’s win at the 6500-capacity Manchester Regional Arena (on a Rekortan M track) was not the only stellar display, as UK athletes competed for Olympic spots across the Channel. Seventeen-year-old high-school student Phoebe GILL announced her presence with an impressive win in the women’s 800m, in a time of 1:58.66, ahead of silver medalist Jemma REEKIE in 1:59.28.

Sprint stars Dina ASHER-SMITH and Daryll NEITA, both looking to book spots in their third Olympics, battled it out in the women’s 200m. Asher-Smith, Britain’s fastest woman, could not be caught after rounding the bend in lane 5, winning in a CR time of 22.18. Neita took silver in an SB time of 22.46, having won the 100m in 11.24 a day earlier.

British and European record-holder over 400m, Matt HUDSON-SMITH, aiming to represent Team GB after an eight-year absence from the Olympic track, ran a PB time of 20.34 over 200m for gold and his first-ever British title in that distance.

10-second barrier broken in Braunschweig

Germany witnessed an array of remarkable performances during its recent National Championships held at Braunschweig, most notably Owen ANSAH becoming the first German sprinter to break the 10-second barrier over 100m, with a time of 9.99.

Dutch treat served up on World Athletics’ most certified track

Rekortan M, renowned for its quality and performance, is the world's most-certified track surface and was chosen for seven National Championships. It showed us why at both the Dutch National Championships (29–30 June) and the FBK Games (7 July), held in Hengelo at the FBK Stadium (named after legendary Dutch athlete Fanny Blankers-Koen).

At the National Championships, Tasa JIYA clocked a lifetime best of 22.62 in the 200m ahead. In the men’s event, former European U20 champion Onyema ADIGIDA secured gold with another lifetime best of 20.35. Veteran sprinter Liemarvin BONEVACIA took silver with a PB of 20.43 at the age of 35.

The FBK Games saw superstar Femke BOL claim the 400m crown in a cruisy (and meet-record-setting) 50.02, while 19-year-old middle-distance young gun Niels LAROS won the 1500m in 2:14.37 (setting a world junior record over 1000m), to book his ticket to his first Olympics.

The world runs on Rekortan, from Oceania to Asia, to Europe, to the Middle East

Rekortan is the trusted surface for athletes and coaches striving for world-class performance across four continents. And it’s been that way for over 50 years.

The commitment to quality and performance is backed by Rekortan's extensive installation network, the largest in the world, ensuring that athletes everywhere, from Australia to Scandinavia, have access to the best training and competition surfaces available.

As the track of choice for athletic venues and organizations around the globe, including Athletics Australia, Scottish Athletics, Welsh Athletics, England Athletics, the most Diamond League stadiums, Penn Relays and AP Ranch, Rekortan and Polytan support track and field from the grassroots to the most prestigious podiums.

With this year’s national championships serving as a springboard to the ultimate stage at Paris 2024, their importance comes into sharper focus. As does their tracks.

For more highlights from the UK, German, and Dutch National Championships, run on Rekortan, read here.

Rekortan is part of the world’s biggest installation network. Rekortan is available in North America and globally through our network of expert installation partners, and via Polytan in EMEA and Asia Pacific.

EventsMatt Herivel26 July 2024Trusted & Chosen, National Championships, England Athletics