PARIS, France – As the world readies itself for this year’s monumental summer games, the sport’s federation have revealed the color of the running tracks to be a bold purple, a first for the games.
Spacing itself from the traditional red-brick clay color, the state-of-the-art Olympic racecourse is getting made by the Italian company MONDO, known for their work on previous Olympics – including Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021.
The construction of the running track, which commenced in January and expected to conclude by May, involves the manual utilization of 2,800 pots of glue and more than 1,000 material rolls. Workers are closely using their own hands.
“Having a purple track for the Paris 2024 Olympics is about innovation and excitement,” says Maria Le Corre, the Deputy Director of Projects and Works at the Stade de France Consortium, “It makes the experience special for everyone involved.”
The architects of the racetrack, MONDO, says, “We wanted to bring something new to the Olympics, something different and fun.”
The Stade de France, the Olympic venue, is also getting a makeover. Upgrades include energy-efficient LED lights and large screens, each as big as a tennis court. These changes will leave a lasting legacy after the games, providing a better experience for future events.
Buzzing with athletes and cheering fans from July 26 to August 11, 2024, the stadium will host 43 track and field events, 160 para-athletics events, and two rugby seven matches during the Paris Olympics.
With preparations underway, the purple track design we see today is a tribute to the 1924 Paris Olympic Games. Back then, the tracks were made of ash and had a gray color. This new purple piste subtly connects to that historical time. It’s like a little nod to the past. The 1924 Olympics were significant since they marked the return of the Games after World War I.
