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Track gets set for Olympic athletes
The refurbishment of an athletics track is now complete as clubs start the countdown to London 2012.
Work on the track at Kettering Leisure Village started last year with the aim of providing improved facilities in the lead-up to the next Olympic Games.
The track surface should be renewed every 10 years but the KLV track had been in place for 16 years.
Kettering Council funded the 81,000 re-spraying and re-lining because the base of the track was starting to show through.
The new track is expected to last for another 10 years.
Remedial work had been carried out previously but the poor visibility of the lines still posed a hazard.
Cllr Russell Roberts, portfolio holder for community, said: "Providing facilities to encourage track sports in the borough has always been viewed as important and, with this major investment, Kettering Council is continuing in this tradition.
"With the 2012 Olympics on the horizon, it's become vital to help our athletes as much as possible by providing and maintaining good facilities."
But some of the athletes using the track were concerned grass was already starting to grow through the new surface.
Richard Caplis, a coach with Kettering Harriers Athletics Club, said: "We had a meeting on Sunday when we discussed our concerns and we will contact the council to let officers know.
"But we are grateful for the facility and it was really good when it was first done. The improvements help the runners because it protects their legs."
A spokesman for Kettering Council said officers would look at any concerns over the state of the track.
Kettering Leisure Village is one of the centres hoping to host pre-games training camps for international athletes before London 2012 starts.
The council is also hoping to secure funding for new floodlights for the synthetic pitch next to the athletics track as well as lights for the track.
Officers are hoping if they can attract the funding for lights for the pitch, they may be able to secure money for the athletics track too. They are looking to apply for funding between 100,000 and 150,000.
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Weather for Kettering
Saturday 11 February 2012
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Temperature: -8 C to -1 C
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