AS a former sprinter, respected coach and long-serving club president, Vic Pascoe knows the value of having a synthetic track in Ipswich.

Pascoe has been campaigning for a new tartan surface for more than 20 years, along with other regional athletics identities like Bailey Pashley and Trish Kinnane.

The Ipswich club was formed in 1978 with Pascoe serving as president for 31 years across different stints.

Yet the quest to secure funding and a venue for a much-needed synthetic track has long been ignored by all levels of government.

That’s why Pascoe is cautiously positive about a re-elected State Government pledging $5 million to construct a long overdue synthetic track at the University of Southern Queensland Ipswich campus.

“It is a breakthrough,” Pascoe said, hoping the state opposition matches what Member for Ipswich Jennifer Howard and State Treasurer Cameron Dick announced.

“It’s just something that we’ve got to have.”

Pascoe knows the exciting potential a community asset like a synthetic track would create.

Ipswich and District Athletic Club competitors set 16 personal bests and won 24 gold medals at the recent North Queensland championships in Townsville.

Club athletes regularly excel at state and national championships.

As a sprint and hurdles coach, Pascoe dares to dream what his dedicated club athletes could achieve given an eight-lane synthetic track to train on.

“It improves them performance wise,” Pascoe said.

“They can actually get more confidence in doing things on a tartan track.

“Everybody [except Ipswich] these days have got one.

“It’s just common sense to have one.”

Pascoe said training on a surface high level competitions are held on allowed coaches to try new things.

“Grass tracks can be used for training as well but having a tartan track allows them to do their long jump run-ups, their triple jump, better run-ups for high jump,” he said.

“And running wise, technique improves.

“On a grass track, you can’t do your hurdles technique correctly.”

Pascoe said training on a tartan track allowed coaches “to fine-tune the athlete to be at their best.”

He said having a synthetic track suitable to use in wet conditions provided more training opportunities and helped athletes prepare for what they will compete on at state, national and international competitions.

The annual Ipswich Winter Carnival, Ipswich Little Athletics Twilight Carnival and many club and school competitions are currently held on the grass field at Bill Paterson Oval.

For many years, leading Ipswich club athletes have travelled to QEII in Brisbane for access to higher level facilities like a tartan track.

“It [a new track] would attract top athletes to come along and start training here,” Pascoe said.

He said Ipswich had missed out on a track upgrade despite having a much larger population than centres like Tamworth, which already has a better surface for athletes.

A synthetic surface in Ipswich would help upcoming athletes training hard to qualify for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brisbane.

“The current athletics facility at Limestone Park, currently used by Ipswich and District Athletics Club and local schools, does not provide a high-performance environment,” Member for Ipswich Jennifer Howard said.

“We want to change that and give our local athletes the very best opportunities to reach their full potential.”

“It would create a community asset our city can be proud of and support local athletes with safe and contemporary facilities.

“The installation of the track is supported by a range of local sporting and community groups, and has the backing of the Miles Government.”