By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Springvale Little Athletics has farewelled the much-lamented rubber running track at Ross Reserve in style.
Recently, the club staged a three-hour, 112-lap relayathon in its final meet before the start of long-awaited re-surfacing works.
Their efforts raised $350 for the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal.
“Lots of fun was had with slime and colour to commemorate this big occasion,” club spokesperson Teresa Rumpf said..
Over the next 12 months, the club will temporarily relocate to a grass track at Davies Reserve, Oakleigh.
The Ross Reserve track is expected to re-open in early 2024.
“Interestingly Knox Little Athletics is refurbishing their track this year too, so school groups won’t have many choices of synthetic tracks to go to this year,” Ms Rumpf said.
“An inconvenience but with the state of our crumbling track, something that has to be done and we will have an awesome new track.”
The club and other sports groups had long reported the 40-year-old synthetic rubberised track was a safety hazard, with two Masters runners breaking their arms after tripping on loose flapping sections in 2021.
Despite concerns of a cost blowout, Greater Dandenong Council approved a $6.7 million upgrade of the venue to regional standard, including a new running track, hammer throw, pole vault and steeplechase facilities.
Within weeks, works have begun and the old track’s surface has been peeled from the ground.
Meanwhile, Springvale Little Athletics came home with a truckload of medals at a recent regional track-and-field meet.
Ms Rumpf said its athletes won 13 gold medals, seven silver, seven bronze as well as many top-10 finishes and personal bests.
Fourteen members progressed to state championships at Lakeside Stadium, Albert Park on 11-12 March.
