The unique green surface of Portland’s newest indoor track.
The IAAF World Indoor Track and Field Championships are coming to Portland in March, and in order to host this big meet, the organizers needed to create a world-class indoor track from scratch. They came up with an eye-catching green six-lane 200 meter banked oval that will be completely worthy of the event.
This nondescript warehouse is the home of The House Of Track.
For the next two Saturday afternoons the public will be able to compete on this cool new track in low-key but well-organized developmental meets at the track’s temporary home, The House Of Track, a warehouse located at 2400 NW Front Avenue in Portland.
You don’t need a secret handshake to gain entrance to The House Of Track.
I got a chance to run the 3000 meters there last Saturday. The track is a great surface, and allegedly fast (I wasn’t, but that may have been partly due to my having run a 5k road race that morning. Or lack of speedwork) 😉 The House Of Track venue is informal, but very roomy and well-ventilated. I didn’t overheat or get my usual severe “track hack” indoor cough from musty air.
The venue is roomy, and there’s an inner straightaway for the sprints.
There are mats laid down for warmup runs, lockers to store your gear, and even a large row of bleachers along the home stretch for spectators. If you’ve been wanting to hit the track for some shorter races, sheltered from the elements, this is your best shot for awhile. There have been very few opportunities to run indoor track in the Portland area for the past several years, and The House Of Track will soon be lost to history, so take advantage of the chance to run on the surface that will soon host the world’s top athletes.
This could be you!
The races are only $5.00, and the meets are open to all ages. Registration is from 10:30-11:30a, with the first races starting at 1:00p. The events vary week to week. The schedules for the final two meets will be posted here: http://gotracktownusa.com/events/house-of-track/
