Westminster City Council open gates to new athletics facility at Paddington Recreation Ground

 Wednesday 26 September 2012 saw Team GB athletes Laura Turner and Larry Achike unveil brand new athletics facilities at Paddington Recreation Ground, London. The Lord Mayor of Westminster and Cllr Steve Summers, cabinet member for sport, leisure and the olympics were also in attendance to see the impressive new facilities including a new running track, high quality field event equiptment and improvments to public address facilities.

The new facilities at Paddington Rec will provide the local community with free casual use, school sessions, resident athletics clubs, coaching programmes for juniors and adults, engagement programmes, talent identification programmes and an annual athletics festival event.

Double Olympic hero Mo Farah has lent his support to a restoration project on one of the UK’s most iconic running tracks. The 5,000m and 10,000m gold medalist has backed a £240,000 project to revamp the historic running track at Paddington Recreation Ground where the legendary Sir Roger Bannister trained to break his four-minute mile.

Speaking after the birth of twins, Mo Farah, who lives in London, said: “Central London getting a new running track is great news for athletes of the future. The London Olympic Games will inspire a whole new generation of potential sports men and women and it is good to see Westminster City Council leading the way in bringing important new facilities to the heart of the capital.”

Cash for the project has come from The London Mayor’s Legacy Fund, The Marathon Trust with the remaining funding being met by Westminster City Council.

Cllr Steve Summers, deputy cabinet member for Olympics, sport and leisure, said: “It is great to see that one of the stars of the Olympic Games is backing this project. This is an important new facility for Westminster as we want to leave an Olympic legacy in the centre of London to inspire the next generation of sporting heroes. 

“We hope that hundreds of people will be inspired to take up track and field sports and maybe even go on to represent the UK in Olympics around the world.”