Time's up, old track.

Work to pull out the old polyurethane synthetic track at JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur is on in full swing since the past two days.

The 400-metre track, which was first laid at the JRD Tata stadium in 1993 and was upgraded to international standards in 2003, had become worn out in the past couple of years, unfit to host sprint events.

Looking at the pace of work, it seems the old track will be fully pulled up by March-end to clear the decks for a brand-new one.

The cost of laying the new track will be some Rs 4 crore. But, laying work alone will take at least three months.

It's a labour-intensive job but well worth it, say experts such as Padma Shri sportsperson Charles Borromeo, who heads Tata Steel sports department.

"Once the new track is laid, we won't have to worry about it for at least a decade," he said.

When a synthetic track is new, it has a good grip. That's why it helps sprinters run with ease and break records.

In a worn-out track, the surface is slippery and cracks show up. For professional runners, an old track means that the spikes on their shoes will get stuck in the crevices while the slippery surface increases their risk of a fall.

So, sprinters not only clock bad timings, they also run the risk of high-impact injury, two things that apex body Athletics Federation of India is keen to avoid.

Borromeo, who won gold for India in Asiad 1982 in 800-metres, clocking an Indian record for that time of 1:46:81 seconds, and got an Arjuna Award the same year for the feat, knows why a new track is vital for big-ticket events.

"The existing facility was worn out and unfit for hosting big-ticket athletics events. Now, New-Delhi-based vendor Advance Sports Technologies has been given the task to lay the new track," he told The Telegraph.

According to Borromeo, the Delhi vendor is importing the materials from the US and Germany such as polyurethane mixture, black and red rubber as well as glue required.

The vendor will bring technicians from the US to relay the track. "Technical assistance from abroad would be needed to relay a quality track. The vendor will be taking technical guidance from the US," an official revealed.

Six vendors from New Delhi and Mumbai had visited the JRD Tata Sports on August 22 last year to inspects the venue. The steel major initiated talks with all six but finally zeroed in on the Delhi-based vendor.

The Tatas have plans to invite some top athletes of the country for an event after the track is laid. "Once the work is done, we will again be able to organise top athletics events here. We are all looking forward to it," Borromeo said.

The last top event the sports hub hosted at the JRD Tata Sports Complex was the 47th Open National Athletics Championship (ONAC) in 2007. Yes, it's been a while.

Which significant track-and-field event have you seen live at JRD sports complex? Tell ttkhand@abpmail.com