Stadio Raul Guidobaldi


Stadio Raul Guidobaldi is an athletics stadium located in Rieti, Italy. Every year since 1971 the stadium hosts the Rieti Meeting; it also hosted the 2013 European Athletics Junior Championships.
The stadium is notable for being the location where eight world records were settled ; for this reason, Steve Cram defined the stadium a sort of Mecca for middle-distance runners.

History

The stadium was built as part of the construction program for the 1960 Summer Olympics and inaugurated on 23 July 1960. In the 1980s a second grandstand and a marquee with an indoor track were built. In 1999 a roof was built for the main grandstand and the track was expanded to eight lanes. In 2011-2012 all tracks were rebuilt in sportflex material and painted in blue by company Mondo.

Description

The stadium is located in south-west Rieti, near other sport facilities, and is bordered by the Velino river. The main track is made of sportflex and is 8 lane wide. Along each straight is a grandstand, with a total capacity of 5,000 spectators: the main one, called "Velino", has a roof supported by large steel arches and also hosts the changing rooms and the press station; the smaller one is called "Terminillo" and is not covered.
Behind the main track is an area reserved to training and warming up, with a 250-metres-long 6-lane track, an area equipped for the long jump and javelin, and a marquee with an heated indoor track for winter trainings.