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Sport

29th Jul 2014

Pic: China builds a running track with right-angled corners

Handy for laps GAA-style, not so handy for laps athletics-style.

JOE

Handy for laps GAA-style, not so handy for laps athletics-style.

A new stadium in China’s Heilongjiang province has one unique feature, but it wasn’t part of the plan. According to reports in the Telegraph, when local Communist Party officials decided to make a snap visit on the redevelopment in Tonghe County, the quick refurb job resulted in square corners being put on the track. Yes, really.

China square track one

A regional television programme spoke to locals and regional officials who admitted that it was a problem but there was no sign the bizarre flaw will be fixed either.

“In order to get it ready for the leaders, we painted it like that,” he confessed. “We think it is ugly too but if the leaders don’t ask us to change it, what are we supposed to do?”

If they do decide to rip it up, we imagine they will easily be able to sell it to a GAA team to train on.