News

Robins Fitness Center gets new, longer lasting track and field

  • Published
  • By Holly Logan-Arrington
  • Robins Public Affairs

Robins Air Force Base’s new track and field was built to keep pace with the crowd.

The new setup, located directly across the main Fitness Center on 8th Street, offers a six-lane, 400-meter regulation track and artificial turf that will now allow year round playability, creating multiple avenues for fitness training with minimal maintenance.

John Enterman, 78th Force Support Squadron Fitness and Sports manager, said the update was part of a field renovation project to replace worn out natural turf.

“Inlaid in the turf is a regulation soccer field, seven-per-side soccer field and a regulation football field which will allow our Intramural Sports leagues and Varsity Sports leagues to expand. It also allows the youth teams a state-of-the-art field for soccer games,” he said. “This turf is the most used manufacturer of NCAA Division 1, 2 and 3 fields with artificial turf surfaces and the Robins now has is the same turf as the Detroit Lions and the Indianapolis Colts.  The 2.5-inch HD Classic slit film turf along with the patented three-layer fill system the field provide the maximum in safety and performance with 9.2 pounds per square foot of infill -- the safest in the industry.”

The new track is a non-porous prefabricated vulcanized rolled rubber surface as opposed to the old track which was a granulated rubber and latex mix that was porous and would wear out constantly with the amount of usage the track gets on a daily basis.

Since 2004 the track has had two granulated surfaces put down and undergone four repair jobs. Until recently, the first two lanes were shut down by Robins’ Safety Office, Enterman said.

“The new track won't wear out like the granulated surfaces we have had in the past,” he said. “Also, it's warrantied with use of spikes and alternate foot wear such as boots, cleats and other tennis shoes. 

The new track also contains antibacterial properties to help eliminate the spread of Staph, MRSA and bacteria, Enterman explained.

“Our old surface was a porous product that held bacteria, especially in our high-humidity climate,” he said.

Now, Robins has a track and field that won’t give out before you do.