Tartan track

Tartan Track is a trademarked all-weather synthetic track surfacing made of polyurethane used for track and field competitions, manufactured by 3M. The original production was in 1967, and the product was later reformulated to eliminate the use of mercury. Relative to some other surfaces, it lets athletes compete in bad weather without serious performance loss and improves their results over other surfaces. It also provides a more consistent surface for competition even under optimum weather. Similar tracks have become the standard for most elite competitions. Because the "Tartan" product was widely successful in its time, the name Tartan has been used as a genericized trademark for description of an all-weather running track. A competing product is AstroTurf, originally made by Monsanto in 1965 and originally called ChemGrass. Like the Tartan product, the "AstroTurf" brand name has become genericized. The Tartan branded product has also had various other competitors. History According to Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (3M), developed its "Tartan" track and turf products in the late 1950s, and Sports Illustrated called its development a breakthrough in 1963. The track product was made for running and horseracing tracks and the turf was made for stadiums. These were the first manmade track and turf for athletics. Tartan track was tested for use at a track and field competition in the Los Angeles Coliseum as early as 1959.