Scarborough gets fast track to athletics success with £1m Bramcote Athletics venue

The 400m all-weather oval track has been privately funded to the tune of £1m by a local business, Broadland Properties Ltd, in partnership with Scarborough College, an independent school that owns the site between Filey Road and South Cliff.

Named Bramcote Athletics, the facility is set up for jumping and throwing as well as track events. It will be shared between Scarborough College and the community, with clubs, after-school groups and individuals using it outside school hours. Changing rooms and a viewing area are also on site.

Richard Guthrie, a director at Broadland Properties, says: “The project came about because there was a set of playing fields that were underutilised due to the merger in 2012 of Bramcote Prep School with Scarborough College. I asked the college if I could see what you could put on the site and it happened that you could shoehorn in an oval running track. As a sports enthusiast I thought this looked awesome. After the likely funding options fell through, our company decided to carry the cost. We’re also funding an athletics development officer to run the facility.”

The track was used during the summer term by Scarborough College. The athletics development officer, Zach Harrop, who started in August, is building the shared-use timetable by liaising with club, school and community representatives.

“We’re working towards ensuring the track is used seven days a week,” says Harrop, who will provide coaching to both Scarborough College and the community alongside visiting coach Julian Reid.

Mike Tildsley, North Yorkshire Sport school games organiser for Scarborough, says the track creates opportunities at a time when participation has flagged post-pandemic and during the cost of living crisis.

“We have a massive after-school programme including cross-country, tag rugby, cricket, sports hall athletics and netball, relying largely on volunteers and goodwill,” explains Tildsley, a former head of PE at George Pindar School. “Pre-pandemic take-up was far better though, and cost of transport has become a problem for parents.

“The key to getting athletics going at the track will be to get schools to hold their sports and athletics events there, and to add events to the calendar – a sprints meeting, a track meeting, throwing, jumping."

Scarborough Athletic Club (SAC), which has 240 adult members, is booking the track initially for two evening sessions each week.

David Field, SAC chairman, says: “Interest has been quite high and we’re getting enquiries from potential new members who want to use the track through our club sessions.

"We also have a thriving off-road, cross country and fell running section: the track will benefit them for speed work. A track feels more bouncy and forgiving than the road, and makes it easier to run faster.

“We’d also like to get more people interested in the field disciplines.”

The track has a 110m straight parallel to Filey Road, plus focused-beam LED floodlights that are set up so the straight alone can be illuminated

The track is certified by UK Athletics: previously, athletes on the Yorkshire Coast who wanted to train at a track would travel to Hull, Middlesbrough, York or further.

Activities on Saturday include Cram firing the starting gun at 3.15pm for the ‘Scarborough Mile’.