Axis of Evil member has a nice track.

[Conor Dary]

Just watched Iran and Saudi Arabia play in Tehran on FSC. 100,000 size stadium and a nice track around the pitch. I wish we had something like that here in Chicago.

PS I suspect Baghdad and Pyongyang do not have such nice facilities.

[skiboo]

You're almost assuredly correct - Pyongyang probably has mass graves holding 100,000, I don't know about Baghdad. You'll need to be an old-timer to get the connection, but the mention of Baghdad summons up memories of this:

[lonewolf]

You made me Google, Conor.
The Azad National Stadium in Tehran is indeed an excellent facility, except that like many venues constructed in the 1970s it has those dang double wide horizontal jump pits.
I have worked approximately one gazillion horizontal jump competitions, too many in double wides, and they are a frigging nuisance.
There is no reason for them in single event competition. If you run two simultaneous events into a pit with pit crews working from both sides, you wind up with dueling rakers and lost time trying to synchornize alternating jumps so a jumper doesnt land on a rake.
They are very difficult to screed. Any leveling bar long enough and heavy enough to work effectively requires a team of offensive linemen to drag it.
Can anyone think of one reason for double wide pits?

[bad hammy]

I don't know much about facilities in Iraq, but noted that they fielded a men's team that competed in the World XC Champs today (finishing only two places behind the Canucks!) No word on the Iraqi women's or girl's team . . .

[TrackDaddy]

I don't know much about facilities in Iraq, but noted that they fielded a men's team that competed in the World XC Champs today (finishing only two places behind the Canucks!) No word on the Iraqi women's or girl's team . . .

Was this a veiled attempt at humor?