As Inverness athlete Megan Keith aims for Olympic glory she hopes her home track is also in the running to achieve a vital goal.
In May there were fears the Queens Park could be declared unfit to host competitions.
A survey of the facility showed it needed resurfacing work costing nearly £400,000 to avoid being closed down.
Its main users, Inverness Harriers, said the work was “existential” to athletics in the North of Scotland.
Megan is due to compete next week in Paris.
And now, she has spoken out about her home track.
‘Queens Park has been great for me’
Megan, who prepared at Queens Park for her Olympic 10,000m race next week, says the track is ”massive” for the area’s athletes.
“I’ve been training on it two or three times per week for many years, but particularly in these last few months of my build-up to the Olympics.
“The next nearest track would probably be down in Perth.
“I would not be able to be based here, so having Queens Park here has been great for me.
“Similarly, I probably wouldn’t be running today had it not been for Queens Park being there for us as athletes as we meet up at least twice a week.
“Fingers crossed the funding can be secured to keep it in place.”
Her coach Ross Cairns said: “We have an Olympian for the first time in the Highlands.
“At the same time, there’s a track that’s desperately needing fixed.
“You join those dots up and you equal some investment in the track.”
The only all-weather running track in the Highlands
The good news is, the track is now in line for an upgrade to secure its future and help local athletes follow in Megan’s footsteps.
All that is needed now is the cash to do it.
Queens Park, opened in 1984, is the only all-weather running track in the Highlands.
The next nearest similar facility is more than 100 miles away in Aberdeen or Perth.
A survey commissioned by the Harriers found areas of the Queens Park were down to the minimum levels of thickness and shock absorbency acceptable to UK Athletics.
There were concerns that by next year the facility would be refused the UKA TrackMark certificate necessary for hosting competitions.
However the track has had its athletics accreditation extended to allow competitions to take place for 2024-2025 and 2025-2026, without the need for any immediate work.
It is proposed an upgrade will take place after spring 2026.
In the meantime, High Life Highland said it will work with Highland Council and other partners to secure funding.
An opportune moment
Inverness Harriers president Charlie Forbes said the club will meet with HLH and the council to ascertain the full scale of the work that will be done.
“This is a very opportune moment to get things right for athletics in the Highlands.
“The track is the only venue for competition for Highland and Inverness athletes to compete without the hazardous journey time on either the A9 or A96.”
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