UCD’s new IAAF standard 400m 8-lane athletics track has been officially opened at University College Dublin. The University and its students have been without such a facility for the past 10 years following the decommissioning of the former athletics track at Belfield in 2011. But that gap in sports facilities is now a distant memory thanks to an extraordinary philanthropic donation – the largest ever single donation to sport at UCD – which will also cover the cost of maintaining the track for the next 20 years.

The new athletics track with field facilities is a boon to UCD students and staff. Located at UCD’s Sports Precinct, the site comprises 3.73 hectares at the Richview/Clonskeagh end of the campus. The track has a double-rubber sandwich foundation, making it more suitable to training and long-term use than the Mondo brand (favoured by more strictly competitive tracks).

Among those immediately set to benefit are Israel Olatunde, Ireland’s fastest man, who has just started his final year of computer science at UCD; Luke McCann, who this year broke the Irish 1,000m-record indoors and out; Sarah Healy, who broke the Irish under-23 1,500m record; and Darragh McElhinney, under-23 silver medal winner at the European cross-country last December.

Sport and athletics play a central role at University College Dublin and we would like to thank the donor once again for their outstanding generosity.

“UCD Sport and Leisure facilities are a real point of pride for the University. We are all grateful to the anonymous donor whose generous contribution made the new athletics track possible. It is an exciting and very welcome addition to our campus” – Jordan Campbell, Director of Development”

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“I thank our donor for this extraordinary gift and for placing your trust in our vision to transform lives and strengthen communities. We draw tremendous inspiration and motivation from your encouragement and support”

Professor Mark Rogers – Acting UCD President

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