Olympic legend Dame Kelly Holmes was on campus last weekend leading a fun run to open a new £2m athletics track.
Hundreds of local fans joined in as the four-time world record holder, who scooped two gold medals in Athens in 2004, ran two laps to innagurate the track.
Dame Kelly visited campus only a week before running the London marathon, and is trying to raise £250,000 for five charities including her own Dame Kelly Holmes Trust.
The run will have helped the 2004 Sports Personality of the Year warm up for the marathon, but she was more keen on encouraging youngsters at the back than winning this time.
Hordes of people, young and old, turned up and got involved in the fun run. One woman even pushed her baby around in a pram.
Afterwards, Dame Kelly hosted a question and answer session. “It’s great to see such investment into sports facilities for the community and for the university,” she said..
The pricy new track on Heslington West has eight lanes and seating for 500 spectators.
“I used to train at the old track when I was at York Garrison many years ago,” Dame Kelly told the crowd before unveiling a plaque.
“For me, aethletics is a fantastic sport because there’s something for everybody. It doesn’t matter how tall you are or short you are; how strong you are, how slight you might be; how fast you are, how slow you are.”
Vice-chancellor Koen Lamberts also addressed the crowd and said: “Thank you to everybody who’s been involved in building it and delivering it for the city and the community.”
Head of uni sport Keith Morris said: “It’s fantastic. It’s been a long journey to get here.”