Anall-weather running track is a rubberized, artificialrunning surface fortrack and field athletics. It provides a consistent surface for competitors to test their athletic ability unencumbered by adverseweather conditions. Historically, various forms of dirt, rocks, sand, and crushedcinders were used. Many examples of these varieties of track still exist worldwide.

Starting in 1954, artificial surfaces using acombination of rubber and asphalt began to appear. An artificial warm-up track was constructed for the1956 Summer Olympics inMelbourne, Australia.^[1] During the 1960s many of these tracks were constructed; examples still exist today.^[2]

In the mid-1960sTartan tracks were developed, surfaced with a product by3M. The nameTartan is a trademark, but it is sometimes used as agenericized trademark.^{[citation needed]} This process was the first to commercialize apolyurethane surface for running tracks, though it was originally conceived for horse racing.^[3] Many Tartan tracks were installed worldwide, including at many of the top universities in the United States.^[1] Among that list was a Tartan track installed in theEstadio Olímpico Universitario, home of the1968 Summer Olympics atMexico City, which were the first global championships to use such a track.Olympic shot put championBill Nieder was instrumental in developing the product and selling it for this first use in the Olympics.^[4] An all-weather surface has become standard ever since.

Another Tartan track was installed on a temporary basis for the 1968United States Olympic Trials held at altitude atEcho Summit,California, before being moved toSouth Tahoe Middle School, where it survived for almost 40 years.

There are other techniques that distribute small chunks of rubber then adhere them in place with various polyurethane orlatex substances.

World Athletics, the governing body for international track and field competitions, publishes very specific regulations for the conduct of Global Championship or International level track meets under their jurisdiction.^[5]

Since the early 1980s, the manufacturer of the surfaces selected for most championship meets has been theItalian company,Mondo, again thetrademarked brand name becoming used as a genericized trademark. Mondo's track surface is calledMondotrack. The surface differs from the particles stuck in adhesion techniques, in that they are more of a rubber carpet, cut to size then tightly seamed together (in the linear direction along the lane lines). This form of construction gives a more consistent bounce (or energy return) and traction.^[6] Because of the tight fit specifications required for manufacture, construction surrounding these sites also has to be of a higher standard, making a Mondotrack one of the most expensive systems to use. Examples of Mondotracks were used for the1996 Summer Olympics (since removed from theCentennial Olympic Stadium) inAtlanta,Georgia, United States;2004 Summer Olympics inAthens,Greece;2008 Summer Olympics inBeijing, China;2012 Summer Olympics inLondon, United Kingdom and the2016 Summer Olympics inRio de Janeiro,Brazil.^[7][8]

Another player in the marketplace is the formerlyBASF-owned company Conica, based in Switzerland, now part of the Serafin Group (Munich, Germany),^[9] which can boast the2009 World Championships in Athletics inBerlin, Germany (whereUsain Bolt improved his100 metres and200 metres world records), along with other record hosting venues likeStadio Olimpico inRome, Italy.^[10]

The proper length of the first lane of a competitive running track is 400 m (1,312.3 ft).

Some tracks are not built to this specification, instead being a legacy toimperial distances such as 440 yd (402.336 m), equivalent to a quarter of a mile.

Prior to rule changes in 1979, distances inImperial units were still used in the United States. Some facilities build tracks to fit the available space, with one of the most notable examples of this beingFranklin Field, where the 400 metre distance is achieved in lane 4.

Olympic tracks in the early 20th century were of other lengths: each lane of the track could (byIAAF rules should) be as wide as 122 cm (4.00 ft),^[11] though the majority of American tracks are built toNFHS high school specifications that allow smaller lanes.^[12] The IAAF also specifies a preferred radius for the turns at 37 metres, but also allows a range. Major international level meets are conducted and world records can be set on tracks that are not exactly 37 meters, provided they fall within the legal range.

• Lane – The ordinal number of the lane with the first lane being on the inside
• Total length – The total length of the lane
• Radius – The radius of the curve 0.30m (for lane 1) and 0.20m (for lane 2 to lane 8) from the inner side into that lane
• Semi-circle length – The length of the half circle of track at that radius
• Delta (200m) – The length a track of this radius is longer than the inside track for a 200m race (and thus how much lead-in is needed to make it a fair race)
• Delta (400m) – The length a track of this radius is longer than the inside track for a 400m race (and thus how much lead-in is needed to make it a fair race)
• Delta (800m) – The length a track of this radius is longer than the inside track for a 800m race (and thus how much lead-in is needed to make it a fair race)

• International Association for Sports Surface Sciences
• Track and field § Stadiums

• IAAF Technical Documents
• runtrackdir.com list of All-Weather Tracks in United Kingdom
• Trackinfo.org listing of All-Weather tracks in the Western United States