Rekortan Gel is a two-layer system, a 9mm gel layer topped by the highest quality EPDM rubber from Melos. The Gel, created by patented technology, creates a fundamentally different performance structure within the surface.

The process starts with bio-based oils, which are converted into green polyethylene using a proprietary, highly energy-efficient enzyme process.

This green polyethylene is installed on the track as a single, seamless 9mm layer. During curing, microscopic liquid bubbles form, transforming the material into a gel.

Each microscopic liquid bubble is engineered with:

• A rigid, hydrophilic outer shell that provides structural strength (a backbone)

• A dynamic, hydrophobic liquid core that enables movement and energy interaction

The Gel’s unique chemistry means these microscopic liquid bubbles are naturally attracted to one another. They form throughout the material, top to bottom and side to side, creating a fully interconnected structure with no gaps. There are trillions of microscopic liquid bubbles in the Gel layer all connected together.

This results in a completely uniform and consistent performance layer, delivering the dense, responsive feel that athletes immediately notice.

As legacy systems, traditional PUR tracks provide reliable, proven performance. The difference with Rekortan Gel is microscopic but huge, because it is not just about energy return, it is about timed energy return.

Conventional tracks return energy during impact, increasing load on the body. Rekortan Gel delays energy return until toe-off, reducing stress, improving efficiency and giving the athlete a clean, efficient “push” forward.

With Gel technology this optimal performance is caused by the unique timing of the microscopic bubbles deforming, separating, snapping back and reforming.

Although athletes do notice the difference very quickly, the value (just like a career) is not built in one step, it is built over millions of repetitions.

With every stride, the Rekortan Gel track:

• Reduces peak impact

• Returns energy more efficiently

• Minimizes unnecessary stress on the body

The gains of each individual step might be small but over time, they compound. The result is:

• Fresher athletes

• More consistent training

• Fewer injuries

• Better long-term performance

Prefabricated tracks provide speed-through-hardness. The energy return is abrupt and rebounds into the athlete too early causing greater chance of impact stress. Every coach knows that injured athletes don’t run fast.

In PUR tracks the force reduction and energy return is provided by rubber granules that are mixed into the polyurethane layer by hand during installation. This uneven distribution means the tracks provide localized force reduction and energy return depending on what is underneath the foot. As such they don’t feel as stable, dense and responsive.

With no gaps in the structure, the 9mm single Gel layer works as one single interconnected system. Every footstrike is supported by millions of evenly distributed energy-responsive elements. This creates a surface that feels both dense and consistently responsive, no matter where the athlete lands.

This continuous structure creates a positive sensation underfoot:

• A feeling of real depth, density and stability

• A surface that absorbs impact deeply into the layer

• And then, returns energy with a clean, precise response

This is what athletes describe as the dense and responsive feel of the track. A sensation that cannot be achieved with layered systems, where mechanical performance is divided between materials rather than integrated into one continuous structure.

For decades tracks have been divided into PUR (polyurethane / rubber mix), prefabricated (vulcanized hard rubber), sandwich systems and spray systems.

Rekortan Gel is a new track category.

The Gel layer is more temperature stable than standard polyurethanes.

Because the microscopic liquid bubbles stay liquid the whole time, they don’t change with temperature. In regular polyurethanes, used in PUR tracks, the crystallinity fluctuates (melts and solidifies) with higher or lower temperatures causing the track to feel harder or softer.

From 10C to +35C, Rekortan Gel tracks offer consistent force reduction across a wide range of temperatures. This is a genuine performance advantage and supports better athlete welfare. Athletes don’t like tracks that go hard or soft as the temperature changes.

Rekortan Gel saves up to 568 tonnes CO₂ per track.

Rekortan Gel (G13) delivers a significantly lower carbon footprint than traditional PUR tracks because:

• Far less rubber content reduces material-related emissions

• Higher bio-based content reduces reliance on fossil carbon

• Optimized material efficiency means less total carbon embedded in the system

Rekortan Gel saves to to 568 tonnes CO₂ on a standard 400 m, 8-lane athletics track with an approximate surfaced area of 14,600 m².

This is the equivalent of:

• 630,643 pounds of coal burned

• 63,914 gallons of gasoline consumed

• Carbon sequestered by 570 acres of US forest

Equivalencies from USA Government EPA Calculator.

Across all assessed scenarios, Gel consistently delivers substantial carbon savings compared to traditional systems, reducing emissions by hundreds of tonnes of CO₂ per track.

Rekortan Gel can be installed 20-25% faster than the traditional 3-layer track.

Faster installation reduces facility downtown and helps with planning windows.

Rekortan Gel is installed onsite as a single 9mm gel layer, topped with a 4mm EPDM top layer. This is possible because the Gel has a perfect level of viscosity that allows it to stay in place while being installed flat to a 9mm thickness. Traditional polyurethanes are too runny for this, so must be done in two thinner layers.

This installation benefits are:

• Less wet weather contingency days in the construction planning

• Less susceptible to any form of moisture damage during installation

• Is machine mixed rather than hand mixed which is more accurate and gives greater consistency.

• Single layer prevents potential contamination between the layers from dust and other debris

Rekortan Gel is not only better underfoot for athletes but has a lighter footprint for the world. The polyurethane layer in most traditional PUR tracks and the layers in prefabricated tracks, are made with 100% petrochemicals.

The Rekortan Gel layer is made with 84% renewable (plant-based) and recycled materials:

• The Gel’s ingredients are bio-based polyols instead of traditional carbon-based oils

• The Gel is manufactured using a proprietary enzyme process, significantly reducing electricity consumption. The production process requires very low energy input.

• In the USA, Rekortan Gel is the only track system with three USDA-certified bio-based components, which together make up 50% of the total system, the highest level in the industry.

The reduced impact and efficient energy return means athletes feel less physical strain and fatigue. They can therefore train more frequently and consistently, with reduced chance of injury.

The responsiveness of the track surface “propels” the athlete forward which combined with better training consistency means athletes reach their potential and can continue to improve over time.

Less fatigue and fewer injuries lead to higher quality training sessions and the ability for the coach to focus more consistently on performance development and technical progression.

This allows the coach to reach their full potential and establish a reputation built on the success and progression of their athletes. Rekortan Gel is not just a track; it is a powerful coaching asset.

The Gel track in Adelaide has shown that when athletes prefer the track, this leads to more frequent competitive and recreational use.

Schools, clubs and facilities offering a superior track become more attractive to athletes. This leads to better athlete outcomes, a stronger reputation and a greater return on the investment.

Coaches and facilities (particularly schools) have a duty of care to provide athletes with the safest and most supportive environment possible for training and performance.

Using the university’s Flex testing machine, multiple track systems, including sandwich systems, Rekortan Gel G-13, and a prefabricated track, were evaluated across key performance metrics such as horizontal force, surface firmness, time to peak traction, lateral foot force, and surface recoil.

The results demonstrated that the Rekortan Gel G-13 track delivers optimal track speed while significantly reducing injury risk. The results show that while track speed was comparable to prefabricated systems, the prefabricated track showed a 25% higher injury potential. The traditional PUR track delivered less force reduction and less speed.

These findings match the consistent feedback from athletes and coaches worldwide, confirming Rekortan Gel track’s ability to combine elite performance with enhanced safety.