The city that gave us Seb Coe and Jessica Ennis-Hill currently has no outdoor athletics track usable for competition.
Sheffield has produced famous athletes such as Seb Coe and Jessica Ennis-Hill and was even promoted as a venue for the 2001 World Athletics Championships by Sports Minister Richard Cayborne. But there is currently no usable synthetic outdoor athletics track in the city after Athletics England withdrew the Woodbourn Road stadium’s TrackMark accreditation.
BBC reports that the license has expired at Woodbourn Road, a facility owned by Sheffield Hallam University.
The track was built in 1987 but has been the city’s main outdoor track since the controversial demolition of the Don Valley Stadium in 2013.
Don Valley was built for the World University Games in 1991 and has since hosted internationally televised Grand Prix matches and events such as the England Schools Championships. However, a decision was made 13 years ago to scrap it, which led to an angry reaction from local athletes and coaches at the time.
Ironically, more than a decade ago, the Don Valley was suggested to the IAAF (the world body for athletics) as a possible venue for the World Athletics Championships by Sports Minister Richard Cayborne after plans to host the event in the Lee Valley, north London, collapsed.
Nearby Woodbourn Road tried to fill the void left by the loss of the Don Valley. At the same time, indoor facilities were set up at the English Institute of Sport center next to the Don Valley, with a 200m track.
The Woodbourn Road venue can still be used for training but can no longer host licensed competitions. Sheffield Hallam University says it cannot afford the £1.5m upgrade it needs but is working on a long-term solution.
“We appreciate how disappointing this news will be for the athletics community and we are contacting affected users to offer support, discuss alternative arrangements where necessary and help minimize disruption as much as possible.”
“The independent review process highlighted that the institution requires an investment of more than £1.5 million to meet the standards required for re-accreditation and the university is not in a financial position to commit to this level of investment.”
