Livigno (Sondrio): New high-altitude athletics track

This is one of the highest athletic facilities in Europe: the athletic track at an altitude of 1,800 by next spring will be completed with dedicated changing rooms and other services.

Also published in: Tsport 329

The facility, built by the municipality of Livigno and managed by the local tourist promotion agency, was built alongside another excellence, the Aquagranda Active You swimming and fitness center, a reference point for Olympic champions such as marathon runners, biathletes and swimmers who train at an altitude of 1,800 to improve their performance in view of the agonistic season.
In Europe, only the St. Moritz track is developed at the same altitude, while that of Sestrière, at an altitude of 2,000, is awaiting restructuring.


In the meantime, many athletes have held training sessions in Livigno in view of the World Athletics Championships that take place in Doha from the end of September, and Livigno will be present at the Italian Athletics House during the event.
The runway consists of a 400 m ring with six lanes, a runway for jumps in extension equipped with two landing holes, a runway for pole vaulting, a platform for the launch of the javelin, the launch cage, the platform for weight and a bezel for high jump.


Along the entire perimeter of the facility, a rampart covered with vegetation was built to protect the athletes from the wind.
For the type of track covering, a mixed prefabricated/cast system was chosen for installation on asphalt.
The system is made up of a prefabricated elastic-layer rubber from recycled ELTs which, glued to a suitable bituminous substrate, is then covered with a surface wear layer, cast in situ, in high-performance polyurethane resin, sown on the surface with coloured EPDM granules.
In particular, a specific solution was necessary to cope with the thermal stresses to which the mantle will be subjected in a climate of altitude such as this one in Livigno.


Particular attention was then given to the choice of the rainwater collection system at the edge of the runway. The drainage channels are of the prefabricated PE type with a crack without edge, specifically made for athletic tracks with a cast finish; once the sowing of the surface product has been completed, the channels are visually integrated into the pavement.
Inside the ring there is a football field in natural grass sown, with standard dimensions.
The second lot of work, including the changing rooms dedicated to the track and the equipment depot, is currently being carried out and will be completed in the spring of 2020.