Athletics Autumn Audit - Resources for Facilities Managers

Club records, PBs and a packed calendar of events have been the hall-mark of our 2024 season, as well as inspiring international events.

Now, the focus has shifted to winter training, S&C workouts and winter sports such as football, hockey and rugby.  So why are we writing about athletics equipment in October? It's to ensure everyone involved is a champion ahead of the 2025 season, all through a pain-free process!

We receive calls and emails from athletics facilities, clubs and schools each spring, as they uncover landing beds and dust off implements for the first competition of the year, only to discover something damaged.

Unfortunately, spring is the busiest time of year for athletics manufacturers, so lead times for made-to-order items such as landing areas, cages, circles and even repairs can leap up from 2-4 weeks to 20 weeks!  If you are unlucky, that means if you order in April, you might not get your new landing area until late September – missing the entire season!

Prepare now for the 2025 athletics season

Neuff doesn’t just support athletes.  We also champion stadium managers, procurement officers, PE teachers, club treasurers, coaches and everyone involved in delivering our magnificent sport.  That’s why we provide free resources to help you manage your athletics facilities in the best possible way. 

An end-of-season audit of your athletics equipment makes your life easier and ensures the best results from your investment in equipment. You can organise repairs and replacements in plenty of time over the winter and start the new season in best shape for lots of personal bests!

Condition inspection of athletics equipment

Investing a couple of hours in checking your facilities will save you the hassle and headache of last minute fixes.  We recommend reviewing the following elements each year:

• Track condition
• Stadium fittings (e.g. hurdles, judges stands, score boards)
• Jump fittings (e.g. landing areas, uprights, take off boards/troughs, covers)
• Throws fittings (e.g. throwing cage, circles, stop boards)
• Officials Equipment

To help, we offer a free download Athletics Facilities Autumn Audit guide for more details and checklists. This handy guide includes tips on what to inspect and crucially, what to look for in your inspection.

You can also use it alongside our Athletics Equipment Inventory Checklist to note the condition of your equipment and keep track of what you have checked.

Is an Athletics Autumn Audit the same as Track Mark?

Maintaining your Track Mark accreditation is an key part of running an athletics facility, ensuring you make the most of your athletics investment, and reassuring athletes and coaches that the facilities are safe to use.

The Athletics Autumn Audit does NOT replace Track Mark. But, having sound annual maintenance reviews in place will help you to sail through your Track Mark reaccreditation with flying colours.

You should also commission an independent condition assessment every five years as part of your TrackMark accreditation. Regular Athletics Autumn Audits will leave you well placed to incorporate these official assessments into your annual maintenance regime.

SAPCA (Sports and Play Construction Association) has a list of accredited members who undertake TrackMark Assessments.

Will the Athletics Autumn Audit cost or save money?

Your Athletic Autumn Audit may identify some repairs that require investment to put right. And of course, your time to complete the checks comes at a cost of some kind.

However, annual Athletics Autumn Audits should help save money, as damage can often be repaired when spotted and dealt with early, but leaving damage to accumulate almost always results in needing to replace expensive equipment sooner than you might expect.

With tight budgets, adding a few years of safe, high-quality use to the life of your equipment will make you popular with athletes and managers alike!

If you do identify larger items that need replacing, it may be more cost-effective to do these in the winter season. 

• Firstly, you will have more time to carefully consider your procurement process and make grant applications if needed.
• Secondly, you will have a full choice of manufacturers and models, rather than being forced to choose the ones with the shortest lead times during athletics season.
• And finally, you will have less downtime of your facilities, meaning happier athletes and coaches and less lost revenue.

Help for athletics facilities managers

Our Athletics Autumn Audit guidance and checklist are free to download, and are designed for facilities managers, PE teachers, club coaches and others to use independently.  Our experienced staff are always on the end of the phone or email to help if you would like further information, advice or support.

When you identify repairs or replacements, remember we stock a variety of parts, from track repair kits to hurdle button clips, winding handles to scoreboard number units, so simply email us your list and we will help you find the best options for repair or replacement with free, no obligation information.

More resources for athletics facilities managers

England Athletics have a range of resources for facilities management.  Some of our favourites are the checklists for the weeks and days leading up to a competition.

SAPCA is a useful source of Codes of Practice, as well as listing accredited TrackMark assessors.

Neuff Resources for Athletics Tracks, Stadiums & Schools

• Stadium Equipment List for Outdoor Track & Field
• Stadium Equipment List for Indoor Throws and General Training
• Equipment Inventory Template for local use (contact us for an adaptable Excel version)
• Accessible Athletics Guides (Coming Soon - email us for more info)
• Browse our grounds equipment range
• Repair your kit instead of replacing it

Partner with us and let our expertise and dedication to athletics excellence support your facility's success. Contact us today to discuss your needs and find the perfect solutions for your athletics facility.