Rekortan is winning in Florida
From the Miami Slam to gel technology at Montverde Academy, Rekortan’s Pat Hooks talks tracks in the Sunshine State.
The sun has just set on an incredible Grand Slam Track weekend in Miami, but in a state that sees year-round sunshine, track and field never sleeps. Florida’s consistently warm climate allows year-round training making it a hub for top athletes including many US and international Olympic racers. With the focus on Florida for Grand Slam Track, we caught up with Pat Hooks, General Manager of Rekortan to find out more about the vibrant international, collegiate and high school track scene and how Rekortan is helping to shape it from the Miami Slam to Montverde Academy.
Tell us about your role…
I manage all aspects of operations for the Rekortan direct business which includes installing tracks throughout the United States from estimating to completion. Track and field is hugely popular at high school and collegiate levels across Florida so we spend a lot of our time there working alongside schools, colleges and training facilities to understand their needs and deliver the best track solutions.
How long have you been laying tracks in Florida?
Rekortan tracks, along with our sister brand Tartan, are the original track brands, and Rekortan tracks have been installed in Florida for over 50 years. I’m not old enough to go back 50 years! But I inherited a brand with that heritage. It means we understand the market, the facilities and the weather and we have continued to build on that knowledge over the years by working closely with track programs in the region. Understanding the local weather patterns is extremely important to know the best times to start and stop installing and we have installed over 25 tracks in the last couple of years alone.
KIPP Jacksonville
How do Rekortan’s track systems meet Florida’s specific needs?
Our resources, in combination with our sister company AstroTurf, allow us to really support the needs of the local track market.
Proven tracks like Rekortan M, which is the world’s most certified track, and new innovations like Rekortan Gel, are especially suited to the Florida market. The gel layer is more temperature stable than standard polyurethanes. This allows it to offer consistent force reduction across a wide range of temperatures, providing a performance advantage and supporting better athlete welfare. This is very important in Florida where temperatures can be extreme.
“The Gel track retains +95% of its force reduction over 10 years – that is remarkable.”
Gel tracks have been really taking off in the state. Why is this?
We install a mix of tracks in Florida from our structural spray systems to premium quality systems. This matches the need of a local community school right through to schools with elite track programs.
But without a doubt, the Gel Series tracks are really starting to garner a lot of attention for their use of sustainable resources while also creating a system that meets all World Athletic standards for force reduction, vertical deformation, and energy restitution.
The Gel track retains +95% of its force reduction over 10 years – that is remarkable. Traditional PUR (polyethylene) tracks harden over time, but the Gel has superior chemistry. So, the Gel track might be a higher initial investment, but over time, it pays off because it lasts longer. And also, this superior force reduction offers better care for the athletes.
Which schools have Gel tracks in Florida?
One of the most recent Gel tracks projects I oversaw was for Montverde Academy.
The school is known globally for its athletic programs across all sports. It has earned a host of National Championships and produced many professional athletes. Their track and field program is very impressive. Their 4x400 meter relay team recently set a girl’s national high school record clocking 3:31.68 at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor which were held on the Rekortan track at Franklin Field.
Why did Montverde Academy choose Rekortan?
They chose our Rekortan Gel G-13 system after a long and thought-out process involving presentations and site visits with numerous track installers.
Their athletic director and track coach visited AP Ranch in Fort Worth, Texas to walk the track and meet with Greg Sholars, who is one of the country’s top coaches. Greg was able to share his experiences of training Olympic track athletes as well as elite athletes from other sports on the Gel track that was installed at his high-performance facility a couple of years ago.
After experiencing the track, the Montverde Academy team agreed that a Gel track would be better for their program than a traditional PUR system. We are finding that this is consistently the case. Once track professionals experience Gel technology they want the newest and best tech.
“At AP Ranch, they have found that that this nano-technology provides an incredible combination of energy return and force reduction which allows their athletes to run fast times while staying injury-free during training and competition.”
What makes Rekortan Gel unique?
It is the only gel track in the world, we make the gel ourselves and the technology is proprietary to Rekortan. The gel layer is made up of 84% renewable and recycled material which is outstanding for the environment, and for the athlete, the gel layer contains trillions of liquid balls which deliver a unique combination of energy return and force reduction.
At AP Ranch, they have found that that this nano-technology provides an incredible combination of energy return and force reduction which allows their athletes to run fast times while staying injury-free during training and competition. This has helped record-breaking runs from stars like Allyson Felix and Sha’Carri Richardson who have both trained at AP Ranch.
Montverde Academy
Nathaniel Traz Powell Stadium, Miami, FL
Miami just experienced its first Slam. How excited are you about Grand Slam Track?
This is such a great innovation for the sport. These top athletes are so good that it is crazy that they only race against each other occasionally. By bringing the Racers together for regular competitions where one Slam builds on the next to create a champion is such a standout idea.
We love track and field so I am really proud that we are supporting this innovative new league that will take the sport forward. As a supporter of track and field it’s also fantastic to see Grand Slam Tracks’ pay structure. Their 48 contracted racers all receive a base salary for competing in their four events, while $12.6 million in prize money is also in play. It’s great to see these amazing athletes being properly compensated for their success.