UPV and the Valencia Marathon have refurbished the campus athletics track, which is now open to local clubs
4 June, 2026
The Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) and the Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso Zurich, together with Valencia City Council, today inaugurated the athletics track at the UPV’s Vera campus, which has been refurbished thanks to a partnership agreement signed between the university and SD Correcaminos, the event’s organising body.
This agreement forms part of the ‘Comparte Maratón Valencia’ project, specifically part of its Facilities programme, which Correcaminos has launched to repay the people of Valencia for their support of Spain’s best marathon and to promote athletics in the province. More specifically, the UPV has invested €958,604 in upgrading the facility, whilst the Valencia Marathon has contributed €120,000 towards refurbishing the track and providing specialist equipment for weight training and warm-up areas.
Furthermore, thanks to this agreement, a shared use model has been established for the facility, enabling a number of athletics clubs in the city to train there if they wish to do so from 25 May onwards, sharing this refurbished facility with the university community. Correcaminos will contribute its technical and organisational expertise in order to ensure the facility is used to its full potential, working closely with the Valencia Municipal Sports Foundation to coordinate access and enforce the rules of use, thereby helping to ease congestion on the athletics track at the Estadi del Turia in Section III of the Turia Gardens park.
The agreement also provides for the organisation of training activities, competitions and talent recruitment programmes, with a view to promoting athletics among students and the general public.
The event was attended by the Vice-Chancellor of the UPV, José Esteban Capilla; the Councillor for Sport at Valencia City Council, Rocío Gil; and the President of SD Correcaminos, Francisco Borao; they were also joined by the Director of the Trinidad Alfonso Foundation, Juan Miguel Gómez, and the President of the Valencia Athletics Federation, Mª José Orugo.
Capilla explained that the complete refurbishment of the athletics track “marks another stage in the UPV’s commitment to sport, health and opening up our facilities to the public”. “This initiative,” he added, “not only improves conditions for practising sports at the university and for the general public, but also enables us to move towards the official accreditation of a facility that is strategic for Valencia, whilst further strengthening collaboration between the university, public institutions and the Valencian sports community to promote both grassroots and elite athletics”.
For his part, Borao noted that today was a special day for Correcaminos, as the opening of this track “clearly reflects the aims of Comparte Maratón Valencia”, since “thanks to this agreement, we will be able to relieve congestion on the track in Section III of the park in the [former river bed], and as a result, many people will see an improvement in their athletics training”.
Lastly, Rocío Gil emphasised that “this new track is an example of how the success of the Valencia Marathon is a success for the city, and of how sport has a positive impact on the lives of Valencians, leading to significant improvements in the sporting activities of its residents”. “Valencia is looking forward to seeing our athletes and clubs enjoying athletics on this refurbished track in the coming weeks, which is already part of the social legacy of the Marathon in our city”, stated the councillor.
Valencia’s second certified track
Opened in 2000, the UPV athletics stadium has, for more than two decades, been a leading venue for university and community sports. The facility features an eight-lane all-weather synthetic track, surrounded by a perimeter track of artificial turf around an inner area of natural grass, covering a total of 20,500 square metres. It also features two pole vault areas, various jump pits and four floodlights.
Sustained use of the facility made a major refurbishment necessary. The work carried out has included replacing the surface of the athletics track, renewing the artificial turf around the perimeter, upgrading the jumping pits and updating the sports equipment used for various disciplines.
One of the most important aspects of the project has been correcting the unevenness of the track’s surfacing, with the aim of achieving a high level of uniformity and technical precision. This improvement is essential in order to qualify for the official certification of the track by the Athletics Federation, which will enable the venue to host higher-level competitions and establish itself as a leading sports facility.
This agreement forms part of the ‘Comparte Maratón Valencia’ project, specifically part of its Facilities programme, which Correcaminos has launched to repay the people of Valencia for their support of Spain’s best marathon and to promote athletics in the province. More specifically, the UPV has invested €958,604 in upgrading the facility, whilst the Valencia Marathon has contributed €120,000 towards refurbishing the track and providing specialist equipment for weight training and warm-up areas.
Furthermore, thanks to this agreement, a shared use model has been established for the facility, enabling a number of athletics clubs in the city to train there if they wish to do so from 25 May onwards, sharing this refurbished facility with the university community. Correcaminos will contribute its technical and organisational expertise in order to ensure the facility is used to its full potential, working closely with the Valencia Municipal Sports Foundation to coordinate access and enforce the rules of use, thereby helping to ease congestion on the athletics track at the Estadi del Turia in Section III of the Turia Gardens park.
The agreement also provides for the organisation of training activities, competitions and talent recruitment programmes, with a view to promoting athletics among students and the general public.
The event was attended by the Vice-Chancellor of the UPV, José Esteban Capilla; the Councillor for Sport at Valencia City Council, Rocío Gil; and the President of SD Correcaminos, Francisco Borao; they were also joined by the Director of the Trinidad Alfonso Foundation, Juan Miguel Gómez, and the President of the Valencia Athletics Federation, Mª José Orugo.
Capilla explained that the complete refurbishment of the athletics track “marks another stage in the UPV’s commitment to sport, health and opening up our facilities to the public”. “This initiative,” he added, “not only improves conditions for practising sports at the university and for the general public, but also enables us to move towards the official accreditation of a facility that is strategic for Valencia, whilst further strengthening collaboration between the university, public institutions and the Valencian sports community to promote both grassroots and elite athletics”.
For his part, Borao noted that today was a special day for Correcaminos, as the opening of this track “clearly reflects the aims of Comparte Maratón Valencia”, since “thanks to this agreement, we will be able to relieve congestion on the track in Section III of the park in the [former river bed], and as a result, many people will see an improvement in their athletics training”.
Lastly, Rocío Gil emphasised that “this new track is an example of how the success of the Valencia Marathon is a success for the city, and of how sport has a positive impact on the lives of Valencians, leading to significant improvements in the sporting activities of its residents”. “Valencia is looking forward to seeing our athletes and clubs enjoying athletics on this refurbished track in the coming weeks, which is already part of the social legacy of the Marathon in our city”, stated the councillor.
Valencia’s second certified track
Opened in 2000, the UPV athletics stadium has, for more than two decades, been a leading venue for university and community sports. The facility features an eight-lane all-weather synthetic track, surrounded by a perimeter track of artificial turf around an inner area of natural grass, covering a total of 20,500 square metres. It also features two pole vault areas, various jump pits and four floodlights.
Sustained use of the facility made a major refurbishment necessary. The work carried out has included replacing the surface of the athletics track, renewing the artificial turf around the perimeter, upgrading the jumping pits and updating the sports equipment used for various disciplines.
One of the most important aspects of the project has been correcting the unevenness of the track’s surfacing, with the aim of achieving a high level of uniformity and technical precision. This improvement is essential in order to qualify for the official certification of the track by the Athletics Federation, which will enable the venue to host higher-level competitions and establish itself as a leading sports facility.
