Thornes Park Athletics Stadium upgrades athletics track

Wakefield Council – Thornes Park Athletic Stadium

One of Wakefield Council’s remits is to manage, maintain, and invest in sports and leisure opportunities for the local community. As part of their ongoing investment in high-quality, accessible facilities, the council commissioned the refurbishment of the existing track and field facility at Thornes Park Athletic Stadium.

The Background

The project aimed to introduce an athletics facility that caters to both elite athletes and grassroots participants, with year-round access thanks to a new LED floodlighting system. A key priority for management was that the track and field areas were made more accessible, to more customers.

SIS Pitches were tasked with stripping the existing track and equipment and replacing it with a eight lane texturised spray system track. Key features required:

• Hammer cage, shot put, long jump, high jump, pole vault, steeplechase.
• Ten-lane 100m sprint track.
• LED floodlighting for evening and winter training.
• Accessibility points for the hammer cage and shot put area.
• A competition-ready surface.

SIS Pitches successfully delivered a modern, fully accessible, high-performance track that supports Wakefield Council’s mission to promote fitness, mental health, and sports participation. The track accommodates everyone from novice to elite-level athletes, with accessibility for disability needs. The newly installed LED lighting system has allowed for usability both day and night.

The new athletics track will serve both the public and groups such as Wakefield Harriers and Wakefield Triathlon Club, with over 3,000 people having used the facility since its opening in September.

One stand-out achievement has been the success of the Couch to 5K program led by Louise Galloway. This initiative has provided a pathway for local people to get involved in exercise and has successfully strengthened their partnership with the local athletics clubs has strengthened.

With the venue set to host seven West Yorkshire track and field events in 2025 and the possibility of district-level competitions being hosted throughout the year, it’s safe to say the athletics venue is becoming a hub of activity for competitive athletics.

As well as competitive athletics, Wakefield Council can now offer competitive rates for local schools to make use of the new facility, starting from £30 per hour. More information can be found here.