By Nick Butler

The London 2012 Olympic Stadium track has moved location for the Anniversary Games ©UK AthleticsPreparations for the Sainsbury's Anniversary Games taking place on Horse Guards Parade on Sunday (July 20) have ramped up a notch today with the beginnings of work to install 1,600 square metres of athletics track on the iconic landmark.


Remarkably, the majority of the new track is part of the exact same track used at the Olympic Stadium for last year's Anniversary Games, as well as for the London 2012 athletics competition.

The track is being installed on 76 staging panels using two 80 tonne cranes, with 27 tonnes of sand being brought in to create the shot put and long jump areas, and more than 4,000 metres of barriers will be used at Horse Guards Parade and for the distance races along The Mall.

Due to the need to install the track at as late a stage as possible, workers are putting in a collective total of 3,000 hours to create the arena in just 72 hours.

"To stage an event in Horse Guards Parade is logistical challenge but it will be well worth the effort," said UK Athletics chief executive Niels de Vos.

"It is going to be one of the iconic events in London this summer.

"The Sainsbury's Anniversary Games involves two ticketed sessions in Horse Guards Parade where people will be able to see the world's best athletes in an iconic setting - up close and personal.

"The public can also cheer on the elite road races on The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace, without a ticket, that will feature top distance runners and wheelchair athletes including David Weir.

"Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, Jonnie Peacock and Hannah Cockroft are all competing and I believe it will be a unique and memorable occasion."

London 2012 Olympic champion Mo Farah will not now compete in the Anniversary Games, but hopes to be fit for the Commonwealth Games later this month ©AFP/Getty ImagesLondon 2012 Olympic champion Mo Farah will not now compete in the Anniversary Games, but hopes to be fit for the Commonwealth Games later this month ©AFP/Getty Images



The event has been dealt a blow today by the withdrawal of double world and Olympic champion Mo Farah, who is opting to continue his bid to recover from injury in time for the Commonwealth Games at his training base in France rather than by racing over two miles.

But among those still bidding to compete is the pole vault world record holder Renaud Lavillenie, Olympic and world 100 metres gold medallist Fraser-Pryce, world 110m hurdles champion David Oliver and Olympic 100m hurdles champion Sally Pearson.

The event will also not be short of British stars, with London 2012 long jump champion Greg Rutherford and Peacock, T44 100m Paralympic gold medallist, who won gold on "Super Saturday" and "Thriller Thursday" respectively at London 2012, also participating, along with with further Paralympic champions Cockroft and David Weir. 

Action is due to begin in Horse Guard Parade with an afternoon session from 1pm until 3pm, before an evening session from 6pm until 8pm the same day.

Between these two sessions, there will be three hours of free-to-watch distance races take place on a two mile circuit on the boulevard between Buckingham Palace and Admiralty Arch.

Tickets are still available for the event and can be purchased here

Contact the writer of this story at nick.butler@insidethegames.biz


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