Hampden Park, the Commonwealth Games athletic venue is to be officially unveiled today.

Work on the site started three months ago as diggers moved in to transform the football stadium into a world-class athletics venue. As part of the development, a revolutionary solution has raised the stadium surface by almost two metres, gaining the width and length required for an IAAF-approved Athletics track.

A full infield complete with freshly-covered grass now sits on a temporary deck, made up of 1,200 base panels supported by more than 6,000 structural steel stilts. The red running track surface is due to be laid shortly.

Also being unveiled today (12 March), is the Athletes' Village, Scotland's first large-scale carbon neutral housing development, as it begins its fit out for the Games. Once completed, the village will host 6,500 athletes and officials in total. In addition to accommodation, the village will also include a dining area, medical facility, retail zone and recreational space.


Jessica Ennis-Hill, Olympic gold medallist and Glasgow 2014 ambassadors, and Team Scotland star and Commonwealth silver medallist Eilidh Child, will be on site to unveil the facility.

David Grevemberg, Chief Executive of Glasgow 2014, said: "Both of these crucial Games venues are stunning in look, revolutionary in design and the embodiment of the athlete centred, sports focused approach that we've taken to delivering the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games."

Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport, Shona Robison added: "Hampden is being transformed for these Games and the raised playing surface is a fantastic example of innovation. It shows how we are making the best use of existing facilities to deliver world class athletics in Glasgow."

Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council, commented: "Today provides an insight into how the final preparations for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games are progressing.

"The innovation shown in Glasgow in getting ready for the Games is perfectly illustrated in the state of the art work being done at Hampden Park and the Athletes' Village. We can all be proud of what is being done to allow us to welcome the world in fantastic style this summer."

(JP/MH)