Tartan track is a

trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a form of intellectual property that consists of a word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination that identifies a Good (economics and accounting), product or Service (economics), service f ...

ed all-weather synthetic track surfacing made of

polyurethane Polyurethane (; often abbreviated PUR and PU) is a class of polymers composed of organic chemistry, organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links. In contrast to other common polymers such as polyethylene and polystyrene, polyurethane term ...

used for

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

competitions, manufactured by 3M. The original production was in 1967, and the product was later reformulated to eliminate the use of mercury. Because the "Tartan" product was widely successful in its time, the name Tartan has been used as a

genericized trademark A generic trademark, also known as a genericized trademark or proprietary eponym, is a trademark or brand name that, because of its popularity or significance, has become the generic term for, or synonymous with, a general class of products or ...

for description of an all-weather running track. Athletic Polymer Systems, a subsidiary of MCP Industries, Inc., manages the installation of Tartan-branded running track.

History

According to Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing ( 3M), developed its "Tartan" track and turf products in the late 1950s, and ''Sports Illustrated'' called its development a breakthrough in 1963. The track product was made for running and horseracing tracks and the turf was made for stadiums. These were the first man made track and turf for athletics. Tartan track was tested for use at a track and field competition in the

Los Angeles Coliseum The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (also known as the Los Angeles Coliseum or L.A. Coliseum) is a multi-purpose stadium in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. Conceived as a hallmark of civic pride, the Col ...

as early as 1959. The first recorded use of a Tartan Track surface in competition in England was a

long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...

at the Norman Green Sports Centre in

Solihull Solihull ( ) is a market town and the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Solihull is situated on the River Blythe in the Arden, Warwickshire, Forest of Arden ar ...

, September 16, 1967, though there were earlier uses in the United States. The

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Mexico 1968 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 October 1968, in Mexico City, Mexico. These were the first Ol ...

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

was the first

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a Multi-s ...

to use the Tartan track surface in athletics. Olympic shot put champion Bill Nieder and American record holder in the mile Don Bowden were instrumental in developing the product and selling it for use in the 1968 Olympics. American track and field coach Bert Bonanno, who had been recruited by the Mexican Olympic Committee to help prepare their athletes, worked as a liaison between the Mexican officials and manufacturer 3M in 1968. "It had been red cinder at the Olympic Games up until then. 3M hired

Jesse Owens James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens (September 12, 1913 – March 31, 1980) was an American track and field athlete who made history at the Athletics at the 1936 Summer Olympics, 1936 Olympic Games by becoming the first person to win four gold meda ...

to assist them to convince the Mexican Olympic Committee to put that track in," Bonanno said. A Tartan track was constructed for the men's U.S. Olympic Trials at Echo Summit,

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, west of South Lake Tahoe. Just off

U.S. Route 50 U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlantic ...

, it was built in the summer of 1968 in the parking lot of Nebelhorn ski area, at an

elevation The elevation of a geographic location (geography), ''location'' is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational equipotenti ...

of . The original trade name "Tartan" came from 3M, manufacturers of Scotch Tape and alluding to the Scotch name. 3M's first generation

artificial turf Artificial turf is a surface of synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass, used in sports arenas, residential lawns and commercial applications that traditionally use grass. It is much more durable than grass and easily maintained wi ...

of the late 1960s and early 1970s was branded as "Tartan Turf". Those original tracks used mercury as a catalyst, which is an environmental hazard. An independent company (MCP Industries Inc.) assisted 3M in reformulating the production process to stop using mercury. Virtually all major horseracing tracks used Tartan track, and Tartan turf was used at most sports arenas and stadiums for high school, college and professional sports. The patents held by 3M on the product technology began expiring in the 1970s, and the durability of the product meant there was little replacement business. As a result, the value of the product line to the company fell. There are now numerous competitors in the all-weather track industry. In fact, the "Tartan" tracks of the late 1960s were the second generation of all-weather track surfacing. Before that, there were several tracks constructed of rubber (usually tire shavings) and asphalt.

References

External links

TartanTrack.com
{{3M Sport of athletics terminology 3M brands

History

See also

References

External links