The Woodside stadium in Garston is amongst 600 sporting venues nationwide that have been chosen as training grounds for athletes taking part in preparations for the 2012 Olympic Games. The location of the pre-games training sites were announced last month at a press conference by the Games Organising Committee in London.

The Woodside Stadium in Garston is one of the country's leading athletic stadiums and has played host to numerous high profile and prestigious events in the past, as well as providing facilities for local schools and clubs. It will now be included in an Olympic Guide of sports venues across the country that have met the exacting standards laid down by the organisers of the London games for use by British and overseas athletes in the lead up to 2012. The announcement was welcomed by Watford's MP, Claire Ward, who said the Woodside running track had long been the jewel in the crown of sporting facilities in Watford. "It's location in parkland just north of the town, with easy access to both the M1 and the M25, owes a lot to the foresight of the Labour controlled council who built the facility in the 1950's and upgraded the stadium and running track to it's present high standard in 1983. I'm sure that over the next few years the stadium will attract some of the world's top athletes, as well as provide a welcome boost to the local economy and tourism."