Why Tartan Track Maintenance is Important

Anyone responsible for the maintenance of a tartan track or other outdoor sports facilities knows how time-consuming and costly their proper upkeep can be over the years. The condition of the sports facilities is the club's public showcase and significantly influences whether members and sponsors remain loyal to the club, recommend it, or enroll their children there.

How Long Does a Modern, Seamless Tartan Surface Last?

Modern tartan tracks with a synthetic surface have been in use for about 60 years, with the first installed in 1968 at the Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich. International athletics meetings have been held exclusively on synthetic tracks since the 1968 Olympics in Mexico. Today, tartan tracks are available as structured, water-permeable surfaces (also known as spray coating, DIN EN 14877 2013, Type A) and as water-impermeable full-PU/sandwich surfaces (also known as cast surfaces, DIN EN 14877 2013, Type D to F). Both types are installed on-site by professionals using the in-situ installation method, creating perfectly flat, seamless surfaces. Other product variants, delivered as pre-fabricated track material to the construction site, are rarely used in Germany.

Manufacturers like Polytan claim a spray coating lasts about eight years, while full-PU/sandwich surfaces have a lifespan of up to 30 years, depending on usage intensity, environmental and weather conditions, and surrounding vegetation. The lifespan of tartan tracks can be influenced by proper cleaning and maintenance, divided into four maintenance measures: inspection, basic cleaning, intensive cleaning with special cleaning machines, and renovation or repair of the tartan track. We present these four steps in detail.

Step 1: Regular Inspection of Tartan Tracks

Regular visual inspections and immediate removal of minor dirt prevent damage from the outset. This helps maintain the important functional properties of the tartan surface and reduces the risk of accidents for athletes. This means promptly removing loose dirt such as leaves, twigs, and debris, as well as weeds, moss, and algae deposits, and sand from nearby long jump pits. Dirty or clogged drainage channels should also be cleaned immediately, and tension cracks or root damage should be repaired promptly. The frequency of such inspections depends on the usage intensity of the tartan track and the season – more leaves fall on the track in autumn than in spring and summer. Pollen can also affect the surface.

It is generally advisable to ensure during sports field construction that no overhanging branches or bushes unnecessarily shade or dirty the tartan track. Mowed grass from adjacent meadows can also harm a synthetic track over time due to humus formation. In addition to these daily to weekly routine inspections, we at Polytan recommend more intensive inspections of the tartan track every quarter. If non-sporting events such as club festivals or concerts take place on the synthetic surface, sufficient, load-bearing coverage beforehand and thorough inspection for damage afterward are essential to maintain the facility's suitability as a sports venue with optimal functional properties without trip hazards.

Step 2: Basic Cleaning of Synthetic Tracks

All dirt and damage found during inspections should be removed during this maintenance measure – basic cleaning – using sweeping or vacuum sweeping machines. It is important that the cleaning machines are equipped with soft plastic bristles and not steel bristles or similarly hard materials. Such hard bristles would permanently damage the surface of the track and would be counterproductive to the intended cleaning. Noisy but effective are leaf blowers: they remove loose dirt particles in no time – literally. Unwanted weed growth in curb joints is best tackled mechanically – but never with chemicals or open flames like gas burners. Despite all care, dirt accumulates over the years that can only be removed with intensive cleaning – the third maintenance measure.

Step 3: Intensive Cleaning of Tartan Track with Cleaning Machine

Such an intensive measure is a wet cleaning. It removes stubborn dirt and abrasion as well as moss and algae. We at Polytan recommend it every two to three years for water-impermeable surfaces. For water-permeable tartan tracks, it should be on every responsible person's to-do list once a year. However, the days when the groundskeeper or janitor stood on the track with a handheld pressure washer are fortunately over: special high-pressure cleaning machines restore the functional properties of the surface in a few hours and make the surface shine in its original color – naturally depending on the general age of the track.

For faded track markings, special lining devices are available to refresh them in no time. Machine high-pressure wet cleanings are offered by specialized companies. Good to know: they are, for example, part of Polytan's service packages. Here, one should look for RAL-certified service offers, as they guarantee optimal maintenance by professionals with the appropriate cleaning machines. Such RAL certifications are also available for major renovation work or re-topping of tartan tracks – the fourth step in maintenance when synthetic surfaces have reached a certain age or have been severely affected in other ways.

Step 4: Repair and Re-Topping (Resurfacing) of Tartan Tracks

Minor cracks on the surface can be easily repaired by oneself – but as soon as possible to prevent them from getting larger and spreading. Larger damaged areas require expertise and should only be repaired by RAL-certified professionals. Complete renovations in the form of so-called re-toppings are recommended for widespread damage and pronounced signs of aging. A re-topping is a resurfacing where the old tartan track is preserved as much as possible. Whether such resurfacing is feasible can be determined in a special examination of the existing track. The force reduction values, tensile strength, surface evenness, and general condition of the old track's substructure are examined. If the test results are satisfactory, damaged areas must be repaired, and existing sports equipment (such as the sandpit of a long jump facility) must be adjusted to the new, higher surface structure. Then the actual re-topping takes place: the new synthetic surface is applied to the old track in the seamless in-situ installation method. After 24 hours, the tartan track is cured and walkable again and can even be certified for international competitions by World Athletics under certain conditions.

Conclusion on Tartan Track Cleaning

If tartan tracks are not exposed to extraordinary stresses such as intense weather conditions, permanent shading, severe environmental pollution, continuous non-sporting events, etc., they have a lifespan of 8 to 30 years – depending on their construction as spray coating, cast surface, or pre-fabricated track material. To achieve a long service life, the maintenance manager should observe several things, including:

• regular inspections (preferably daily)
• immediate removal of loose dirt
• timely repair of minor damage.

Depending on the type of tartan surface, intensive cleanings are necessary every 1 to 3 years – but please only have them performed by specialized companies with special cleaning machines for synthetic tracks. RAL-certified service offers from manufacturers, for example in the form of maintenance protection plans, ensure maximum safety. If the damage is too great or the lifespan of a tartan track is exceeded, it is advisable to consider re-topping before a complete new installation. Such resurfacing can be a time-saving and resource-conserving option to make the club's track shine in new splendor – without additional disposal costs or the financial burdens of a new construction.