The stadium will play host to a scaled-down version of the Commonwealth Games in athletics
With the 2026 Commonwealth Games officially set for Glasgow, Scotstown is poised to take center stage as it hosts athletics in a minor event.
Known for its unique blue track, the stadium plans to expand its current capacity of 4,765 to accommodate 10,000-11,000 spectators with temporary seating.
The decision to host the games in Glasgow came after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew due to rising costs.
Glasgow has extensive experience hosting the event, having successfully hosted the Games in 2014, with the athletics held at Hampden.
Hampden has accommodated 40,000 athletics fans, while Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium will host 30,000 for the 2022 athletics games.
The more intimate setting of Scotstoun will be a unique atmosphere as the smaller version of the games will be distinctly different.
Scotstoun Stadium (Getty)
AW: Chatted to Scottish Commonwealth Games Federation Chief Executive Jon Doig OBE at the official launch of the Games in Glasgow. He said: “We’ve been working on it for just under 12 months, looking at it in terms of concept and whether we can go through and deliver it.
“The earliest thing we had to look at was athletics and could we deliver athletics at Scotstoun Stadium and in terms of feasibility our answer was yes.
“Obviously we’ve already got the main stand at Scotstoun but the remaining seats will be wrapped up with temporary seating.
“The temporary seating capacity will increase to 10,000-11,000 and in that sense we can create an absolutely brilliant atmosphere when the athletes are competing and running.”
Dwayne Chambers (Getty)
The stadium has a storied heritage in athletics dating back to the late 1890s when it first hosted the cross country games.
Between 1903 and 1913, the Scottish National Cross Country Championships were held annually at Scotstoun, except in 1907, when they were held at Portobello, Edinburgh.
It has also been home to Victoria Park AAC since its inception in 1930.
After the renovation of the all-weather track in the mid-90s, the stadium has hosted many prestigious events.
The British Milers’ Club held grand prix meetings at the stadium in 1999, 2000 and 2001, attracting top athletes from across the UK.
There have also been international events, including Great Britain and Northern Ireland defeating the United States in 2000, Great Britain and Northern Ireland vs. Russia in 2003, and the same three nations challenging each other again in 2005.
The stadium also welcomed the Scottish Senior Championships between 2001 and 2007, as well as various other competitions, including the Combined Events Championship (2002) and the Masters Championship (2006).
The last major event held at Glasgow Stadium was the Norwich Union Glasgow Grand Prix in 2007. In 2014, the stadium was used as a training venue for the Commonwealth Games.
Kelly Holmes (Getty)
Today, Scotstoun remains the home of Victoria Park AAC, but it also shares ground with Glasgow Warriors rugby club, which has taken on a prominent role in recent years.
The focus on rugby has limited the staging of large-scale events, with the Warriors demanding exclusive access for their games, often placing temporary stands on the track.
However, Scotstone’s announcement as host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games could mean a change in this trend. As Doig says: “Scotstoun has a very long history of athletics and has been there for over 100 years in various forms and hosting international events.
“It’s great that we can bring athletics back to the stadium and hopefully we can leave a legacy for athletics as well.
“It’s going to be a completely different Games compared to 2014, we’re in a different time, but it’s still going to be an exciting and world-class event. This is reset and re-imagining.
“This will not only inspire the athletes who are struggling to perform well, but will also inspire the youth who will be in the crowd and feel inspired.
“We had a number of our athletes who were in the stands in 2014 now making the Scotland and Great Britain teams, so we’re looking forward to that boost going forward.”
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