Back when I was a boy, track events were measured in yards, not meters, and we ran in spikes on cinder tracks. Well, track-and-field technology has improved shoes (thanks Nike) and the tracks themselves. Instead of cinders, first-rate tracks are made of recycled rubber.
   A German company, BSW, invented the technology to convert tires to rubber flooring. One of its products is Regupol, used to build tracks. The world’s fastest human, Usain Bolt, set records in the 100m and 200m on a BSW track in Berlin. A new Regupol AG running track surface is going in at the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica.
   To honor the event, BSW’s American subsidiary, Regupol America, Lebanon, PA, is inviting U.S architects to “Bolt to Jamaica” on an all-expenses-paid, four-day trip to Jamaica, Bolt’s native country. Winners will meet Bolt, tour Jamaican architectural sites, and have time to enjoy the beaches.
   The promotion is open to architects specializing in commercial construction for recreation and education and who specify products for sports and fitness surfaces. The rules and entry form are here. Applications must be filled out and returned by April 9, 2010. Winners will be notified by April 13, 2010.
   Back when I was a boy growing up in Pennsylvania Dutch country, the only thing I knew about Lebanon was it was the source of the bologna I ate every week. Now, many, many pounds later, I could stand to hit the track. A Regupol track, that is. —Jim Carper