The Alberta Velodrome is open

Coronation Park Sports and Recreation Centre opened its doors January 27 — ahead of schedule — bringing Western Canada's only UCI Category A indoor track to Edmonton.

Riders sweep around the banked track beneath the timber roof of the Alberta Velodrome

Photo: Masa Higuchi

It's real, and it's open. The Coronation Park Sports and Recreation Centre welcomed the public on Tuesday, January 27 — ahead of schedule and under budget — and celebrated its grand opening on Friday, January 30 with speeches, a ribbon-cutting, and free family activities.

At the heart of the $153-million facility is the Alberta Velodrome: a 250 m UCI Category A indoor track — the only one in Western Canada and one of just three in the country — with seating for up to 940 spectators. Around it, the building stacks up a 333 m running track, the Peter Hemingway Aquatic Centre's 50 m pool, a fitness centre, a bouldering wall, and two full-size courts inside the track oval, making Coronation the first indoor triathlon training centre in North America.

“This is about establishing Edmonton as a national hub for cycling,” said Alberta Velodrome Association Board Chair Scott Fisher at the opening — and the calendar agrees: the venue hosts its first national championships this March.

Best of all: the track isn't just for the pros. Certification programs, youth track school, and beginner sessions are open for registration now. If you can ride a bike, you can ride here.