World Athletics certifies facilities as either Class 1 or Class 2 based on the level of independent testing of the facility and whether the manufacturer’s surface is one endorsed by World Athletics.
A Class 1 facility is the premier standard of athletics venues in the world and is required to host major global events. These facilities require detailed testing on site by an independent accredited testing lab in order to achieve their certification.
A Class 2 facility is does not require the on site testing required for a Class 1 track, but must be manufactured using a World Athletics certified product.
Both Class 1 and Class 2 track certifications require a fee to be paid to World Athletics of approximately US$30,000. As a World Athletics certification is of limited utility, except for hosting significant international meets, there are many tracks that do not have this certification.
Of the one-hundred synthetic tracks in Australia, there are five Class 1 facilities and forty-five Class 2 facilities.
