Victoria Park Athletics Arena

Homerton

Victoria Park Athletics Arena

Victoria Park
LONDON
E9

Telephone: 020 8985 1957, 020 7254 4546 (club contact, not at track)
Fax:

Email:
Website:

Type: Cinder, 400m, 5 lanes, 6 lane straight

Authority: Tower Hamlets
Ceremonial County: Greater London

NUTS Name: London (VP)

Electronic Map Links:
Multimap 1:10,000 (Street Level)
Multimap 1:25,000 (Area Level)
Multimap 1:50,000 (Area Level)
Multimap 1:100,000 (Road Level)
Multimap 1:200,000 (Road Level)
Streetmap (Street Level)
Streetmap (Area Level)
Streetmap (Road Map)

OS National Grid Reference: TQ 366840
National Grid Reference: 536600, 184000

Paper Maps:
A-Z London Master 38Bc 64 (C)
A-Z London Atlas/DeLuxe 3K 61
A-Z London 7B 48
A-Z London Mini 4B 28
Collins London Comprehensive 143 DZ66
Collins London 50 J7
Collins London Mini 12 D4
OS Explorer Map: 162, 173
OS Pathfinder Map: 1159

Train: Hackney Wick NR, Mile End LU

Opening Times: Mon-Sun (as park opening times) Early morning - Dusk
Is track locked/unavailable for casual use at other times: Yes
Charges: None

Track Diagram: Click here
Field Event Facilities: Limited - 2 HJ (1 with pit and tarmac approach, other cinder), no PV, 2 LJ (1L-SE, 1L-CE (synthetic on the usable side)), no TJ, 1 SP (no board), 1 DT (no cage and unusable as next to pavilion), no HT, no JT
S/C Water Jump: Inside track but the barrier has been removed

Changing: None - they suffered an arson attack in Jan 2002
Floodlights: None but the park is shut after dark anyway.
Seating: None

Clubs: None

Pictures: Please browse the selection here.

The display of inline maps of track locations is no longer
a free service and so has had to be withdrawn

Please use the Electronic Map links

Sponsorship for www.runtrackdir.com is being sought
Please contact Tim Grose

Click the picture for a larger view
Click here to see the list of pictures for this track.

Click the diagram for a larger view

Other Info:
The track was built in the early 1920s and was originally 4 lanes. A 5th lane was added somewhat later. It was converted from 440y to 400m in the early 1970s. Victoria Park Harriers started using it from 1926 but stopped using it in 2000 as the facilties at nearby Mile End are far better. Essex Ladies AC also used to use it. The track often saw crowds of over 2000 for meetings after the war but it is now only used for casual training. Albert Cooper set a world record for the 3000m walk on the track on 19th Aug 1933 although it was never ratified. The track surface is redgra and in fair condition although it is poorly maintained. The track usually gets fresh white lines in the summer and then looks great from a distance but the park staff drive vans over it and children ride their bikes on it which leaves a rutted surface that bakes hard in the summer and is then very unforgiving. There was an attended pavilion next to the track but it was partly destroyed by an arson attack in January 2002 and will have to be demolished. It was built close to the DT circle and so prevents any throwing from it now. As there was never a cage around it, hammer throwing did not use to take place at the track. The JT runway was marked out on grass just outside the track down the back straight, faced towards the pavilion and the throwing line was approximately 150 feet west of the tree which is about halfway down the straight. The PV runway was to the side of the JT runway but pointed away from the pavilion. The unsurfaced side of the runway with a central pit used to be for LJ or TJ. The S/C water jump barrier was removed in May 2000. There is no athletics equipment at the track. As of Feb 2003, there is a rumour that the track maybe converted into mini-football pitches for U11s in the near future.

Last update: 08/02/2003

Please send any amendments to Tim Grose