Nuneaton Harriers AC lead the way for innovative athletics competitions
'Top flight athletics competitions, right on your doorstep' is the slogan on The Pingles Stadium website for the Nuneaton Open Event Series which is quickly making a name for itself. Nuneaton Harriers AC have provided a platform for athletes at all levels to compete in high quality domestic performance graded races with electronic timing and photo-finish.
Many elite athletes including Team GB 400m hurdler Jessie Knight have benefitted from Nuneaton’s open events series, achieving qualifying marks for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics at what is considered by many to be a fast track.
Not only are Nuneaton Harriers AC 'athlete focused' in their approach to competitions, they have also been at the forefront of digital innovation with their real time results system, event control, and new stadium scoreboard.
Nichola Skedgel, England Athletics Competitions Partnerships and Innovation Manager, commented:
"I can’t praise this club and venue enough! They are leaders in athletics on the competition front. When the sport returned to competition in 2020 Nick from The Pingles was the first to put his hand up to host competition. Nothing was too much. The team at Nuneaton embraced and overcame the challenges of Covid, implementing innovative solutions, not to mention installing a fully functioning event control and results unit, to meet the Covid Secure guidelines. The team at Nuneaton have gone from strength to strength since 2020 and regularly host a range of athletics meets which are always well attended by athletes of all ages and abilities."
Built in 1998 to replace Nuneaton’s old cinder track, The Pingles Stadium at Riversley Park boasts an 8 lane floodlit athletics track with a 250 seat capacity grandstand. The Pingles Stadium, which has recently secured TrackMark status, is a club managed facility, operated by Nuneaton Harriers Community Association in partnership with Nuneaton Harriers Athletic Club.
Ed Hunt, England Athletics Facilities and Planning Manager, said:
"I cannot say enough about what an amazing job Nick and his team are doing at The Pingles. In addition to all the events that they put on they somehow find time to successfully manage and maintain a superb track & field athletics facility that more than warrants its TrackMark status – if there was a TrackMark Gold they would undoubtedly have achieved it!"
With the redevelopments at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium ahead of the Commonwealth Games, the Pingles Stadium has become the region’s most prominent athletics facility, hosting various events including the Midlands Championships, Night of 100m PBs, and more recently the Nuneaton 10k. The club is committed to serve as the heart of sport to both the local and wider community, and prides itself on inclusivity, catering for athletes of all ages, abilities and disciplines. The future is certainly looking bright for Nuneaton Harriers AC and The Pingles Stadium.
Photo by Stephen Lee