Marton Gyulai, deputy general manager of Budapest 2023, surveys the newly-finished nine-lane track at the National Athletics Centre ©Budapest 2023

The competition track for the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August has been completed and presented to members of the press.

The world-class, nine-lane Mondo track is the first of its kind to be installed in Hungary.

State Secretary for Sports Ádám Schmidt, the Government Commissioner responsible for the World Championships, highlighted the fact that nearly 400,000 people will witness the events in the newly built 35,000 seater National Athletics Centre, and approximately one billion people will follow them via TV.

He added that the top half of the facility's stands will be dismantled after what will be the biggest sports event in Hungary's history, after which one of the most beautiful running tracks in Europe will serve both public and professional athletes who will train in the centre.

The State Secretary also spoke about the fact that after the World Championships, a 10.5-hectare sports park will be created next to the stadium in order to offer healthier lifestyle options for local people.

Budapest 2023 deputy general manager Márton Gyulai, who is also secretary general of the Hungarian Athletics Association, and Péter Árvai, project manager of the construction consortium, said during the tour that the track was extremely fast.

The media get a first look at the newly-finished six-lane indoor track which has been completed at the National Athletics Centre, which will stage this summer's World Athletics Championships ©Budapest 2023
The media get a first look at the newly-finished six-lane indoor track which has been completed at the National Athletics Centre, which will stage this summer's World Athletics Championships ©Budapest 2023

In addition to the completion of the race track, the technical handover of the stadium building has also begun, revealing a unique interior design.

The press box will accommodate 500 people, the press conference room will have space for 110 people and the press centre will house 400 people.

The stadium also has a covered, six-lane running track, and, in parallel with the construction of the arena, a 168-metres-long, single-pylon pedestrian bridge - known as the Robinson Bridge - which provides a connection to the training ground located in the Csepel area.

Balázs Németh, the Budapest 2023 chief executive, said there is huge interest in the World Championships, not only from home but also from abroad.

He said that 2,500 athletes from 203 countries have already entered the World Championships, which are due to take place from August 19 to 27.

The general manager added that the facility will be handed over in the middle of June as part of a family day, and that the first competition is set to be the Hungarian Athletics Championships, from July 7 to 9.