▁in ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁the ▁new ▁ 4 4 0 ▁yards ▁track ▁was ▁ref urb ished ▁and ▁was ▁opened ▁by ▁John ▁L owe , ▁the ▁Vice - Ch an cell or ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Oxford . ▁Since ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁the ▁running ▁track ▁has ▁been ▁modern ised ▁on ▁several ▁occasions . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁work ▁started ▁on ▁the ▁track ▁to ▁convert ▁the ▁track ▁to ▁a ▁synth etic ▁track , ▁and ▁it ▁opened ▁on ▁ 4 ▁May ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁and ▁was ▁again ▁res ur fac ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁ ▁By ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁the ▁track ▁again ▁was ▁of ▁poor ▁quality . ▁Two ▁years ▁later ▁Lord ▁Co e , ▁the ▁Chair man ▁of ▁the ▁London ▁Organ ising ▁Committee ▁for ▁the ▁Olympic ▁Games ▁and ▁Par al ym pic ▁Games , ▁opened ▁the ▁newly ▁ref urb ished ▁running ▁track ▁on ▁ 1 0 ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁The ▁running ▁track ▁was ▁renamed ▁the ▁Roger ▁B ann ister ▁running ▁track . ▁Co e ▁said ▁" It ▁is ▁fitting ▁that ▁the ▁track ▁at ▁I ff ley ▁Road ▁where ▁Roger ▁( B ann ister ) ▁set ▁this ▁moment ous ▁record ▁should ▁be ▁re - named ▁in ▁his ▁honour . ▁I ▁hope ▁that ▁many ▁other ▁records ▁will ▁be ▁set ▁at ▁this ▁newly ▁ref urb ished ▁track ▁and ▁that ▁some ▁young ▁athlet es ▁that ▁run ▁here ▁will ▁go ▁on ▁to ▁comp ete ▁in ▁the ▁London ▁ 2