The first hurdle to complete restorations at the Sydney Academy of Sport athletic track has been officially cleared as local representatives turn the sod to mark the beginning of the end of the facility’s long closure.
The track (commonly known as the Narrabeen Athletics Track) had a $6.7 million budget to transform the area into a new World Athletics-compliant synthetic track for a new generation of Northern Beaches athletes.
“The Sydney Academy of Sport Athletics Track is a vital piece of sporting infrastructure that provides hundreds of Northern Beaches athletes, from Olympians to fun runners, with a place to hone their skills and improve their times,” said Minister for Sport Steve Kamper in a statement.
“The turning of the first sod is a symbolic milestone that will give the athletics community peace of mind that the finish line on the return of the track is within sight.”
The “world class training facility” will include a World Athletics (WA) compliant moisture resilient track surface, new asphalt subbase, drainage and stormwater system upgrades, and accessibility improvements.
Australian Paralympian and NSW Institute of Sport scholarship holder Marli Lovell shared that the facility will help her and others alike “fulfil our dreams.”
“This resource will be well-used by athletes of all standards, but on a personal level, I look forward to using the track to prepare for future events, including the Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games.
“I know my fellow athletes will join me in thanking the NSW Government for ensuring athletes on Sydney’s northern beaches will have access to a world class track to train and compete on.”
The track has been closed since December 2023, when moisture trapped beneath the 30-year-old subsurface of the asphalt raised safety issues, as water damage and bubbling caused the track to crumble. In the wake of its closure, a series of planning and funding discrepancies between the Office of Sport and the insurance company prolonged repairs.
Young athletes have since had no choice but to use the nearby 400-metre grass athletics track, or find alternative places to train; some travelling as far as the Central Coast.
Last year, insurance paid out an undisclosed amount for restorations, and the State Government agreed to bridge the remaining funding gap in their budget. Local politicians who have rallied for funding and a sped-up deadline for the track’s completion have welcomed the restoration’s first steps.
“Having secured $6.7m in last year’s Budget, it’s wonderful to see this money is now being put to good use. Reopening the track can’t come fast enough, and the construction is now underway,” Member for Pittwater Jacqui Scruby MP.
“This track is the only track in the North of Sydney, and the redevelopment was an important investment in the future of local sport, supporting both grassroots participation and elite pathways in the lead up to the LA and Brisbane Olympics.”
Member for Wakehurst, Michael Regan, echoed the sentiments of once again providing young elite athletes with a place to train.
“Today’s milestone is fantastic news for local athletes,” he said.
“Once completed, the new World Athletics (WA) compliant synthetic athletics track will see athletes from the Northern Beaches and across NSW set personal bests and break records.”
Narrabeen Athletics Track is expected to open by Q3 2026; until then, athletes will continue to have access to the temporary grass athletics track at the Sydney Academy of Sport.
