Sheffield athletics facility to partially reopen

A Sheffield athletics stadium that has been closed since early April due to safety concerns will partially reopen later this month.

City Athletics Stadium's track on Woodbourn Road in Attercliffe was closed by operators Sheffield Hallam University after it failed to meet the required standard for shock absorption.

The university has now written to local athletics clubs inviting people to return to the facilities from 23 June, with the stadium due to open three days a week for "supervised sessions with a licensed coach".

Members of the local athletics community welcomed the news but expressed some concerns over possible "congestion" at the track with the reduced opening hours.

Track sessions will initially only take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 16:00 to 21:00 and on Sundays from 09:00 to 13:00.

The decision to close the facility provoked criticism from some local groups, with runners forced to travel to alternative facilities or hold sessions in busy parks.

Both Sheffield Hallam University and Sheffield City Council previously confirmed that they cannot afford to pay for the required track refurbishments.

Reacting to the announcement, John Wood, chair of City of Sheffield and Dearne Athletics Club, described it as "great news".

"It means I don't have the inconvenience of having to arrange transport for my athletes to Rotherham - we're back where we should be," he said.

"It's a start for hopefully something better."

Tom Bailey, a coach at Hallamshire Harriers, said: "We're really positive about it, although I'm not sure why the hours are limited because it means all the groups will be squashing in together so it could be quite congested."

Peter Boden, men's captain at Hillsborough and Rivelin Running Club, also welcomed the update, but said "further clarification" was needed about how the sessions would work.

"We need to be clear what they mean by qualified coaches," he said.

"We have run leaders who will lead group runs, but that may not count."

In a statement, Sheffield Hallam University said: "While the track does not currently meet the standard required for licensed competition and cannot be used for competitive events, school sports days or independent training, this arrangement will enable some athletes to return to training and allow the athletics community to continue making use of the facility.

"We recognise the disruption and frustration caused by the track's closure and would like to thank coaches, athletes and clubs for their patience while we worked through the findings of the recent inspection and sought guidance from UK Athletics and England Athletics.

"We remain committed to working with Sheffield City Council and other partners to explore a long-term solution for the facility, whilst recognising that the future of athletics provision in Sheffield is a broader issue that will require input and collaboration from a range of stakeholders."

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