Types of certifications

World Athletics (WA) distinguishes between three types of certifications:

1. Certified products

2. Certified facilities, broken down into the following three categories

   1. Class 1

   2. Class 2

   3. Indoor

3. Accredited laboratories

The certified products are made up of many different elements, such as those that can be part of the athletes’ sports equipment, or starting blocks, hurdles, scoreboards etc, and of course, synthetic sports surfaces.

The different systems for athletics surfaces are thus one of the World Athletics (WA) organization’s “Certified products”. A company that manufactures surfaces for synthetic tracks may therefore have several systems (products) certified with different construction systems, provided that they meet the technical conditions required by World Athletics (WA).

So what are the Class 1 and Class 2 athletics track systems?

Don’t trust companies or salespersons offering you a Class 1 or Class 2 athletics track system. They will be trying to confuse you. This nomenclature is intended for facilities on which competitions are held and not solely for the surface of the athletics track. Of course, to obtain a “Certified facility” by World Athletics (WA) as Class 1 or Class 2, the facility must have a synthetic surface certified by World Athletics (WA), but this is just one of the many requirements.

Three basic concepts from this chapter:

• World Athletics (WA) has certifications for products, facilities and laboratories

• The systems for athletics tracks surfaces can be certified as products

• There are no Class 1 or Class 2 surfaces, but rather facilities with such a certification

In the next article we will examine the different aspects that World Athletics (WA) considers in granting the title of “Certified facility”, the current World Athletics (WA) manuals as well as the technical considerations that must be taken into account when designing a track and its environment.

If in the meantime you are interested in learning more about CONICA’s systems for athletics tracks, please feel free to contact us or have a look at our Website: www.conicasports.com