Athletes, clubs and the wider Reading community are celebrating the opening of a brand-new £500,000 athletics track at Palmer Park Stadium, marking the culmination of a six-year journey from early concerns to a world-class surface. Follow this link to see the BBC article here.

The story began with a TrackMark inspection, which identified that the surface was nearing the end of its lifecycle. The survey highlighted multiple issues, including worn surfaces, uneven texture and poor shock absorption levels that fell outside international standards. While the track still met minimum safety thresholds, the report gave venue operators a clear picture of where the facility stood in its lifecycle and underlined that investment would be required within five years to maintain performance and safety.

That assessment triggered discussions between Reading Borough Council, their leisure partner GLL and UK Athletics, ultimately leading to a commitment to fully resurface the track in 2025. The process is a powerful demonstration of how TrackMark not only safeguards athletes, but also helps venues plan for the future and secure the investment needed to maintain standards. By identifying issues before they became critical, the inspection ensured Palmer Park avoided the risk of closure and instead received the resources to deliver a modern, high-performance facility.

The refurbished track now features a Polytan Rekortan PUR system — a cutting-edge synthetic surface designed for elite-level competition — and integrates Polytan SMART technology, with in-built timing gates providing athletes with real-time performance data. Expected to last around 30 years, the surface offers improved drainage, smoother rebound and consistent shock absorption to reduce the risk of injury for users of all ages.

Palmer Park remains home to Reading Athletics Club, Reading Roadrunners and many other groups, providing thousands of athletes with a safe, modern environment. Its reopening was marked by the Festival of Inclusivity on 13 September, a community celebration of accessible sport organised in partnership with Sport Together Berkshire CIC and GLL.

For UK Athletics and England Athletics, Palmer Park is a shining example of TrackMark in action.

Ed Hunt of England Athletics said: “Six years on, the impact of that assessment is clear. The new surface is a credit to everyone involved and a fantastic example of how TrackMark can drive real change. With the depth and detail offered by TrackMark assessments, we can highlight venue issues before they reach crisis point. Working with local authorities, we can help build investment into future budgets — rather than lamenting the lack of resource once a facility becomes unusable.”

UK Athletics would like to thank Reading Borough Council and Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) for their continued support for athletics in the area. Their commitment has safeguarded a vital community facility and ensured it is fit for the next generation of athletes.