“World Athletics certified” appears on almost every track supplier’s website. It is also one of the most misused phrases in the industry — not always dishonestly, but often loosely enough to mislead a buyer who does not know what the certificate covers.
If you are writing or evaluating a tender, this is what you need to know.
Three different things people call “certified”
1. Product Certificate
Issued to a manufacturer for a specific surface system at a specific thickness. It confirms that samples of that system, tested in an accredited laboratory, met World Athletics performance requirements — shock absorption, vertical deformation, friction, tensile strength and related criteria.
A product certificate number looks like S-11-0123. It belongs to the system, not to any particular stadium.
2. Facility Certificate (Class 1 or Class 2)
Issued to a built venue after the finished track has been measured and tested in place — geometry, surface performance, and construction accuracy. Class 1 is the higher standard, required for the most senior international competition; Class 2 covers a broad range of competition below that level.
A facility certificate proves that a real track, built by real installers on a real base, passed. It is much harder to obtain than a product certificate, and it is the stronger reference.
3. “We are a certified manufacturer”
This phrase means nothing on its own. Ask which certificate, which system, which number, and which year.
How to check a certificate
- Ask for the certificate number and a copy of the document — not a photograph of a plaque, the certificate itself.
- Check the system name on the certificate against the product being quoted. A supplier may hold a valid certificate for one system and quote you a cheaper one that is not covered. This is the single most common gap.
- Check the thickness. Certificates are issued for a tested thickness. A 13 mm certificate does not cover a 10 mm supply.
- Check the validity dates. Certificates expire and must be renewed.
- Verify against the official World Athletics certified products and facilities listings rather than the supplier’s own website.
The part suppliers rarely volunteer
A product certificate is based on samples supplied by the manufacturer and tested in a laboratory. It tells you that the system can perform to standard when it is manufactured and installed correctly.
It does not certify the material in your container, and it does not certify the track after installation.
That is not a scandal — it is how the scheme is designed. But it has a practical consequence for buyers: a product certificate alone is not a guarantee of what you receive. Two things close that gap:
- Batch documentation. Ask for the technical data sheet and, for larger orders, batch test results for the material actually being shipped.
- Post-installation testing. For competition venues, write acceptance testing on the finished track into the contract, with payment tied to it. This is what a facility certificate process does formally.
What to write into a tender
Wording that actually protects you:
The supplier shall provide a valid World Athletics Product Certificate for the exact system and thickness offered, with the certificate number and validity dates. The supplier shall additionally provide at least one reference to a World Athletics certified facility built with that system. Final acceptance is subject to on-site testing of the completed surface in accordance with the applicable World Athletics test methods.
That single paragraph filters out most of the suppliers who are quoting a certificate they do not hold for the product they are selling.
Our certificates
We publish ours in full, with numbers, on the Certificates page — including the World Athletics product certification for our systems and the Class 1 facility certificate for Bahrain National Stadium (S-07-0077), a venue built with our prefabricated track. We also hold Chinese Athletics Association certification and ISO 9001 / 14001 / 45001 management system certification.
Full-resolution copies are available for tender packages on request. If you need a specific document for a submission deadline, tell us what the tender asks for and we will send exactly that.