Thousands of Cork athletes left without track after abrupt closure of UCC facility

The Sonia O’Sullivan Mardyke Track was closed on Monday due to health and safety concerns

Mon, 11 Mar, 2024 - 21:31

Cathal Dennehy

Several thousand athletes in Cork have been left without a proper training or competition facility after UCC abruptly closed the Sonia O’Sullivan Mardyke track on Monday due to health and safety concerns.

“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,” read a statement from UCC which was distributed to clubs.

The statement cited a “a rapid and significant deterioration” in the track’s condition in recent weeks with “over 15 full rips down to the underlying surface and perhaps up to 20% of the track with large bubbles on it.” The university said it “cannot allow students/staff and external users” to continue using the track in such conditions.

Athletics Ireland has been made aware of the situation and it’s understood that its CEO Hamish Adams will meet with the university and representatives from local athletics clubs in the days ahead.

With the track at Munster Technological University unavailable for the past year due to its redevelopment, which is set to conclude in the summer, it means there is currently no track available for training or competition for Cork’s 8,600 registered athletes, which span 58 clubs.

The track at the Mardyke had been due to stage the Cork juvenile championships in May and that may be relocated elsewhere, with athletes in the county now facing the prospect of preparing for the upcoming track season without a functional track.

“The closure of the Mardyke now means that all Track & Field events will probably be held in Castleisland... if it's available!” stated a post on the Cork Athletics website about the closure.

“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.”

Bandon AC is building a new track but it remains at least a year away from completion, while feasibility studies have been carried out for a track in Midleton but the plans remain “in their infancy”, according to the Cork Athletics website.