Rekortan M at the Estádio Municipal do Fontelo, Viseu, Portugal

Professional sports surface guaranteeing records

Viseu is located in the northern part of Portugal, approximately 140 km from the port city of Porto. In ancient and medieval times, civilizations from around the Mediterranean came and went, leaving their marks: Romans, Suebians, Visigoths, and Moors all shaped the region before the city finally became part of the newly founded Kingdom of Portugal in 1139. Today, the city itself is home to around 100,000 people, and including the surrounding municipalities, about 400,000. Sports have been pivotal in Viseu for many years, with the city producing numerous renowned athletes, including long-distance runner Carlos Lopes, Portugal's first Olympic champion. Recently, the city gained international attention thanks to Catarina Isabel Ferreira Campos, a football referee born here, who issued the world's first White Card in January 2023 – an initiative in Portugal aimed at rewarding fair play. The Estádio do Fontelo, a football stadium with an integrated athletics facility, was inaugurated as early as 1928, making it one of Portugal's oldest stadiums. With a capacity of about 12,000 spectators, it hosts matches of the Académico de Viseu FC. Dietmar Hopp, the patron of TSG Hoffenheim, also uses the Portuguese club as an academy to train young Brazilian talents in European football before transitioning them to the Bundesliga. The club is not only focused on football but also supports other sports such as handball, swimming, athletics, and sport fishing. The track and field athletes use the surrounding running track in the stadium, which has been covered in Tartan since renovations in 1991. Together with our Portuguese partner Mota-Engil ATIV, we upgraded the running track in 2022 using Polytan Rekortan M in brick red. This waterproof professional sports surface has consistently delivered record-breaking performances. Its name is derived from the terms 'record' and 'Tartan.' Rekortan's key features include outstanding acceleration and high elasticity underfoot, making it both fast and well-cushioned, with excellent sports medicine properties. The visible granules embedded in the cast surface make it particularly suitable for use with spike shoes. Rekortan M is the ideal surface for competition tracks in athletics stadiums and school sports facilities. At Viseu, it covers not only the eight circular lanes – supplemented with two additional sprint lanes – but also the areas for common jumping and throwing disciplines. Water pits for steeplechase events are also embedded in the track at certain sections. With this installation, we hope Polytan has contributed to ensuring future record-breaking performances in Viseu.