The forefront of elite training and competition facilities

The Canberra Stadium was built originally for the 1977 Pan Pacific Games and hosted the 4th IAAF World Cup in Athletics where Marita Koch, a female East German 400m runner, set a new world record which still stands today.

Some Sydney 2000 Olympic Games football (soccer) matches were also held here. Nowadays it is home to two football teams, the Canberra Raiders (rugby league) and ACT Brumbies (rugby union). The Canberra Stadium is now operated by the Australian Capital Territory Government.

History of the Canberra Stadium The stadium, originally called the National Athletics Stadium, was completed in 1977 for the Third Pacific Conference Games.

Phillip Cox & Partners designed the stadium and the main feature is an 8000 seat grandstand area with a cantilever roof supported by masts and cables.

Originally there was a 400m 8-lane synthetic running track that was used by AIS athletes until 1990. With the announcement of the 1985 World Cup Athletics, the stadium underwent its first redevelopment, where seats were installed in the east side and the seating capacity increased to 11,500.

The stadium played host to the World Youth Soccer Cup in 1981 and the World Cup Athletics in 1985. In 1990, the stadium was upgraded and the running track removed. The Canberra Raiders moved to Bruce Stadium the same year.

In 1997, the stadium was redeveloped for preliminary rounds of Olympic football and other sports codes. The redevelopment consisted of upgrading the eastern stand, lowering the playing surface, adding new inner bowl seating, making the playing surface rectangular and upgrading the roofs on both grandstands.