Mardyke Track Closes Abruptly - March 11th 2024
Cork Tracks - And Then There Were None!
March 11th 2024
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| Mardyke Track, on left, and MTU Track |
UCC's Sonia O'Sullivan Mardyke Track closed abruptly, and unexpectedly, this morning, Monday March 11th 2024, leaving Cork Athletics, and County Cork, without a working track. Apart from training, this leaves Track and Field competition in the County in a very precarious place
UCC Release - Monday March 11th 2024
"It is with great and sincere regret that I have to send this email to you all today. Following an urgent inspection this am with our Building and Estates team and outside experts and professional advisers and track repair companies I have had to take the decision to close the UCC Athletics track for health and safety and reasons, with immediate effect.
We have been keeping the track under close operational review with ongoing repairs over the past 2 years. However there has been a rapid and significant deterioration in the last 3-4 weeks. There are now over 15 full rips down to the underlying surface and perhaps up to 20% of the track with large bubbles on it - which will lead to further tears. We were advised by Sports Lab to cut way all rips and bubbles but on looking further at this we all agreed that the scale of cutting would be too high to sustain our operations safely. We cannot allow students/staff and external users continue to use the tack in such conditions. The underlying surface is very wet and slippery and cannot be repaired at this time. The scale of the repairs is such that the full track will probably need replacing - in the right weather conditions.
I take this decision very reluctantly, knowing that this is the only track available in Cork and the wider region. I understand that the MTU track is still under construction and is not due to open until the Summer at the earliest. I have spoken with the CEO of Athletics Ireland today to brief him. We are assessing the situation and will work with our advisors to see what we can do from here.
I am truly sorry it has come to do this and know that your club, athletes, and coaches will be greatly impacted. I thank you all for your support and work with us and hope we can return to operations at the earliest opportunity."
Commentary
With MTU Track being out of commission for over 12 months, since February 2023, there is now no track facility for Cork's 8,600 registered athletes (2023 year-end), 58 Clubs and 3 Divisions.
With the upcoming Track & Field Season, plans had been in place to hold the Juvenile Championships in the Mardyke over three Sundays, with Field Events being held in Castleisland (Javelin), Leevale AC's High Performance Centre (Pole Vault) and Kilworth (Hammer & Discus). The closure of the Mardyke now means that all Track & Field events will probably be held in Castleisland ...if it's available!! Enquiries have already been made about the Tracks in Clonmel and Newcastle West, however parking at both of these facilities is very limited and, Cork Athletics understands, this renders both venues unsuitable for the Championship meets
MTU Track
Meantime, MTU Track remains closed, as it has been for over 12 months. The track has been partially relaid, but the final surface, and more, still needs to be laid. This requires several days of good weather at a time, and this has been hard to come by. Currently, it is hoped that the Track Contractors will return sometime around mid-April, with all works complete in mid to late May. This is likely to be too late for many of the Juvenile Championships, as Qualification from County Championships is required for entry to Munster and National Championships. It may be, should the track be available in May, that Qualification events can be held in MTU, with any non-qualification events held over until June or later.
Senior Championships
Aside from the Juvenile Championships, there has not been a Senior T&F Championship in Cork since 2019, while limited Senior meets have been held, larger events, such as Leevale Open Sports have not. Overall, the past four years, between Covid and Track closures, has been a pretty bleak time for athletics in Cork
Bandon, Mallow & Midleton
On the horizon, Bandon AC's Track Development, which is very badly needed for the County, looks to be the nearest non-college track to completion, however the track surfacing is still a year or two away. Meantime plans for a track in Mallow, while past the planning permission stage, are, apparently still in their infancy. There is also a campaign to develop a track in the Midleton/East Cork region, and feasibility studies are being carried out at the moment
Related Posts
MTU Track Update - September 7th 2023
MTU Track Update - January 2023
