HUNT VALLEY, Md., January 25, 2024 (Newswire.com) - The recent installation of a custom-built, 200-meter portable banked running track from Beynon Sports at the Indiana State Fairgrounds' new Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion represents the latest chapter in the location’s rich history. Constructed in 1923 as the Indiana State Fair’s Swine Barn, the pavilion is now poised to become a magnet for elite track and field competition, having already been awarded the 2025 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships.
Beynon’s innovative system, which uses its BSS 4000 track surface with Hobart Texture, is part of an extensive $50 million renovation that began over two years ago. The project encompassed the demolition of the old swine barn and its restoration as a 196,000-sq.-ft. best-in-class livestock facility, which was opened in time for the 166th Indiana State Fair in July 2023.
A NEW HOME FOR ELITE TRACK & FIELD
Six months later, the pavilion is home to a portable banked track from Beynon that will be installed annually to host local, regional, national, and international events. The first of those events includes the 2024 editions of the below meets, with the track and field schedule running until the spring and ending with the Hoosier State Relays on March 23.
- Butler Invitational (Jan. 20)
- Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis Track & Field Meet (Jan. 26-27)
- USA Track & Field Indoor Combined Events Championships (Jan. 27-28)
While last weekend’s Butler Invitational marked the pavilion’s inaugural track and field event, it represents a continuation of a strong sports presence at the Indiana State Fairgrounds that has endured for the better part of 90 years.
“We’ve got a good track record here. We have a coliseum on our grounds that’s almost continually hosted professional hockey since 1937, so we have two ice rinks on the campus. We do a lot of volleyball, basketball, and gymnastics. We have a DI men’s basketball program that plays in our coliseum,” said Ray Allison, Chief Development & Strategy Officer, Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center. “Taking on track and field is something that, while it’s new, is in our wheelhouse of being able to change over buildings and setup for a variety of different types of events.”
CUTTING-EDGE TRACK DESIGN
To accommodate the Fall Creek Pavilion’s wide variety of events, the track would need to allow for quick and easy removal and efficient storage. For Beynon Sports, meeting the venue’s specific needs demanded a forward-thinking solution, which was developed alongside the team from Weems Engineering LLC, a full-service mechanical contractor based in Dalton, GA.
“We knew that Beynon was going to be able to deliver an elite, championship-level track surface for us that was going to be fast, which in the track space, that’s all that matters,” said Allison about the decision to entrust Beynon with the project. “To the credit of Beynon and Weems Engineering, they sat down, they put their heads together, and they re-engineered the way they build and install these portable tracks, and they came up with something that was really clever and unique and was exactly what we were looking for.”
Beynon’s involvement in this latest renovation, one of several that the Indiana State Fairgrounds has undertaken over the last 25 years, makes it part of a concerted effort to help the campus evolve while safeguarding the historic character of its facilities. In the case of the Fall Creek Pavilion, that included restoring the iconic brick façade from the original swine barn and integrating it into the new venue.
“We’ve been at this location since 1892, and it’s important for us that we maintain our history and the traditions that come with the Indiana State Fair,” said Allison. “We want our fairgoers to have the experience that they’re accustomed to but also provide modern facilities that meet the needs of 21st-century events, whether they’re showing livestock or we’re hosting indoor track and field.”
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Original Source: Indiana State Fairgrounds Unveils Beynon Sports Portable Banked Track
