Tooting Bec Athletics Track, UK
Optimal preparation for the 2024 Olympics
Only a few miles from Wimbledon is Tooting Bec, a district in the south of London. A stone’s throw from the tennis mecca, sport is serious business: Tooting Bec Lido is not only one of the oldest open-air swimming pools in the United Kingdom, but remains one of the largest to this day. It is located in the expansive park, Tooting Commons, which is also home to the Tooting Bec Athletics Track & Gym, whose members have a comprehensive range of fitness facilities at their disposal.
The accompanying pavilion has a fully equipped fitness studio, while an athletics facility allows athletes to train outdoors. It includes an eight-lane running track, which is used by individual athletes, schools and clubs. A stand offers seating for over 400 spectators, while a floodlight system allows the facility to be used year round.
In the summer of 2022, Polytan installed a brick red Rekortan M eight-lane running track and its three integrated sprinting lanes. This is Polytan’s all-rounder for competitive tracks and training facilities in athletics. The non-porous sandwich system is primarily used on running tracks and run-up tracks. Since Rekortan M meets the strict emission limits for indoor spaces, it is not only suitable for open-air athletics facilities, but indoor facilities too.
SMART timing system
At the same time as installing the new surface, the Polytan SMART timing system was also integrated – our sophisticated method for the measurement and documentation of training performance. The Polytan SMART system in Tooting Bec consists of 33 integrated timing gates on the running circuit and sprinting track, a sensor weighing only 15 grams, and the tried-and-tested diagnostics software from our partner Humotion. With the performance diagnostics system, the sensor can automatically measure agility tests, jumping tests, endurance tests such as the Cooper test, tapping tests and sprint tests. It is optimal for performance diagnostics, be it for a single athletes or an entire team, either in athletics or team sports.
For professional athletes and ambitious amateur runners, the detailed documentation of training exercises and performance is simply ideal. That’s why Polytan SMART is the perfect solution for athletes like the Herne Hill Harriers, an amateur athletics club based in Tooting Bec.
The club is also home to Katie Snowden, 2023 British champion in the 1500m and one of Polytan’s brand ambassadors. She is preparing for the Olympic Games in Paris at the Tooting Bec Athletics Track. Polytan SMART enables precise time measurement and performance diagnostics that not only measure her exact timing, but also important running parameters, such as number of steps, step frequency and stride length. The results help Katie to direct her training more effectively and ultimately optimise her performance, so she can race to the highest level. Polytan and Rekortan are proud to be a part of her dream.
