Athletics Track in the Starting Blocks

11.31.44pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 25th Jul 2007

A new £420,000 athletics track opened on 14 July at Stantonbury Stadium - the base for the Marshall Milton Keynes Athletics Club (MKAAC) - and will be the nurturing ground for many potential young talents hoping to compete at the London Olympics in 2012.

The new track has been funded by Milton Keynes Council, together with its partners English Partnerships, Stantonbury Campus and MKAAC.

The new track is up to national standards and will attract athletes to the city as well as potentially being a site for Olympic team training in the lead-up to the 2012 games.

The track, which has been expanded from six lanes to eight, has already been used for its first competitive events during the weekend of 14-15 July.

Richard Davis, Milton Keynes Council's sports development co-ordinator, said: "We now have an athletics track that is up to national standards and we look forward to attracting good quality athletes to compete in the stadium."

Liberal Democrat councillor Euan Henderson, cabinet member responsible for leisure and sports, said: "This is another feather in the cap for Milton Keynes. We now have a high quality athletics track that will help young talent thrive and increase the chances of our fine young MK athletes taking part in the London Olympics."