Polytan

There are few places in the world where sport and history come together quite like the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens.

Known as the Kallimarmaro, meaning “beautiful marble”, the stadium was built more than 2,300 years ago and reconstructed for the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. More than a century later, it continues to play an important role in the Olympic movement, including serving as the setting for the Olympic Flame Handover Ceremony.

Now, this historic venue has entered a new chapter with the completion of a new Rekortan Hertha Blue running track. 💙

A huge congratulations to our colleagues in EMEA, who delivered this project in collaboration with Greek installation partner ErgoMass. Together, they have combined the heritage of one of the world's most recognisable sporting venues with modern track technology.

For Polytan, being part of a project in such an iconic Olympic location is particularly special. Our athletics tracks and Poligras hockey surfaces have been trusted and chosen at the Olympic Games and around the world, creating a legacy that now extends to the very place where the modern Olympic story began.

It is so special to see our surfaces playing a part in preserving the stadium’s role as a place where athletes, history and the Olympic spirit continue to meet.

Chatswood Rotary War Memorial Athletics Field✅

We have a lot of athletics tracks to install this summer across Australia, so it’s nice to get this one across the finish line first. 🏁

Last week, the final touches including the linemarking were completed, and we know these sprint and jump lanes featuring Rekortan G13 will be put to work over and over again.

The facility was designed with regular training in mind, and with that comes repeated use and the need for a surface that can keep up with athletes. We’re also seeing more demand for smaller training areas, with track surfacing being incorporated alongside existing training facilities.

Rekortan G13 provides excellent force reduction, helping create a more comfortable training environment while supporting athletes for repeat sprints and jumps session after session.

One down, plenty more to go. Bring on the summer track season. 🏃‍♂️💨



Willoughby City Council

☀️ Sydney sunshine has been out in force with the start of spring, and it is perfect for surfacing!

Our Polytan crew making some serious moves at the Chatswood Rotary War Memorial Athletics Field.

The existing venue has long featured a grass track, and as part of the upgrade, we’re adding new Rekortan sprint lanes, along with new jump lanes.

Rekortan G13 was selected for the project, bringing the distinctive ‘ping’ to the track, supporting athletes to train over and over while combining athlete welfare with high performance.

So, while the existing grass track remains, athletes will soon have dedicated synthetic lanes for sprinting and jumping, adding another training option to the facility.

If the weather keeps playing along, we’ll have linemarking underway next week, a welcome finishing touch that will bring those key distance markers to life. 🏃‍♀️

We’ve got plenty of tracks to deliver across the coming months, so let’s hope the sunshine sticks around! 😎

📰 Member Company News:
Polytan worked on an upgrade to the Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre that includes a track design with alternating lane colors to enhance broadcast appeal.

Read the member news in the Spring 2026 issue of ASBA’s Build It Right Magazine to learn more. https://ow.ly/t6V250Ztm4m

With the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup well underway, we’re taking a moment to appreciate the fans who have filled the stands throughout the pool stages so far, and those who have been tuning in from home. 🏑

Because hockey wouldn’t be anywhere without its community.

Watching this World Cup, we’re seeing the best hockey action the world has to offer, with players proudly representing their countries. But behind every player is a community of hockey people who make moments like this possible the coaches, umpires, volunteers, fundraisers, team managers and even those organising the junior team uniforms.

And every four years, the World Cup brings this global community together to celebrate the sport they love with friendship, colour, families, loud noise and big energy!

Cheers to the global hockey community! 👏

Images kindly supplied by International Hockey Federation (FIH) with play currently on Poligras in Netherlands and Belgium.

This weekend, the world’s best hockey players will take to Poligras at the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Hockey World Cup.

But you don’t have to be on the world stage to experience the difference what hockey facility does for a community.

In Molong, NSW, the club had an original hockey and multi-sport pitch, but with the devastating 2022 floods, it was completely destroyed. This severely impacted Molong and communities across the Central West region.

Together, Cabonne Council, Molong Hockey Club , the local sporting community and the NSW Government worked to rebuild and this time in a new location at the Molong Showground, safely away from the risk of future flooding.

Polytan is proud to deliver a brand new Poligras H2Oz GT sand dressed system, a favourite for hockey clubs. From site preparation and drainage through to the new pavement, shock pad and synthetic turf, the project brought together local contractors, Council and project partners to create a first-class sporting facility while working around the Showground’s caravan park and golf course.

And now, the most important part, hockey is back in Molong and the senior games have returned! 🏑 We’re delighted to see the new field bringing players, families and the wider community back together through the sport they love.

The FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium & Netherlands 2026 is ready to go.

Poligras is proud to be the Official Hockey Turf of the tournament, with Polytan installing the competition surfaces at Wagener Stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre, Belgium.

From 15 to 30 August, the world’s best teams will compete on hockey’s biggest stage. This tournament marks the 10th Hockey World Cup to be played on Poligras and another milestone in 50 years of shaping international hockey.

Since synthetic turf made its Olympic hockey debut in 1976, generations of the world’s best players have competed on surfaces our turfs. Fifty years later, that legacy continues at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026.

We love the World Cup – the stars, the skills, the thrills & the fans. We wish all the teams and players competing in Amsterdam and Wavre the very best of luck for the biggest and best tournament in hockey.

You can watch the Hockeyroos and the Kookaburras in action live and free on 7plus.

Read the full story: https://polytan.com.au/news/50-years-of-shaping-international-hockey-poligras-by-polytan-returns-for-the-fih-hockey-world-cup-2026/



Hockey Australia International Hockey Federation (FIH)