School athletics carnival line marking in Brisbane
Carnival day only works if the track is right: even lanes all the way round, staggers that give every runner the same distance, and throwing areas with room to run them safely. We mark school ovals for athletics and cross-country, timed so the lines are crisp on the day.
- Pre-season and seasonal marking, costed up front
- Our own GPS line marker for accurate set-out
- Our own crew, family-run in Beenleigh
- Fields up to 400 km from Beenleigh
Why carnival marking eats into staff time
Most school ovals weren't built for a running track. It has to fit around cricket pitches, goal posts and sprinkler heads and still give every lane a fair distance, and marking it by hand with tapes and string usually lands on a PE teacher or groundsperson in an already full week.
- Staggers worked out by hand leave the outside lanes running short or long
- Lanes narrow or drift on the bends
- The track clips the cricket pitch or runs over sprinkler heads
- Lines marked too early have faded or been mown off by carnival day
- Throwing areas have no clear sector lines, which makes them harder to supervise
Carnival date already in the calendar?
Send it through with the events you're running. We'll look at the oval, work out what fits and give you a firm price well ahead of the day.
Track, field event and cross-country marking
We set the layout out with a GPS line marker, so the bends are true and the staggers are measured, not guessed.
Running track and lanes
Straights for the sprints, curved lanes for the longer races, start and finish lines, lane numbers and relay changeover zones. Staggered starts are calculated for your track's bend and lane width, so every runner in a heat covers the same distance.
Field event areas
Shot put and discus circles with their 34.92-degree sector lines, javelin runways and throwing arcs where your carnival includes them, and approach areas for long jump and high jump. Throwing sectors are set well clear of the track and of each other, so events can run at the same time.
Cross-country courses
Start and finish areas, the course line across grassed areas and clear turning points, so runners and marshals can follow it. Where a course leaves the grass, we'll help you work out where flags or cones do the job better than paint.
If the oval also carries winter football lines or a cricket pitch, we plan the track around them so the layouts don't fight each other. For marking through the rest of the year, see football field line marking and AFL and cricket oval marking.
Book ahead of carnival season
Many Queensland schools run athletics and cross-country in Terms 2 and 3, while football fields are being re-marked every week, so marking days book up. Send us the date as soon as it's set, even if the carnival is months away.
Before marking day
- Mow the oval a day or two before we arrive, so the paint sits on short, even grass
- Turn the irrigation off the night before so the lines can dry
- Show us where sprinkler heads, pits and any soft or uneven spots are
- Confirm the events and the number of lanes you need
On the day and after
- We usually mark one to two days before the carnival
- If rain is forecast, we agree a backup date with you in advance
- Lines fade over the following weeks with mowing and growth
- A touch-up visit can keep the track going for PE lessons and house heats
What it costs, and what's under the lines
Carnival marking starts from $220. The final figure depends on the track, the field events, any cross-country course and the distance from Beenleigh, and you get a firm price after the free onsite check, in time for the school's purchasing process.
While we're there, we can look at the oval itself. Hard, dry ground and holes are a trip and injury risk with a whole school running on it. A Clegg hammer test measures surface hardness across the oval, with the readings written up for the school, and our sports field maintenance work can aerate, top dress and feed it so it's in better shape by next year.
- We look at the oval before we price the job
- Our own crew and our own GPS line marker
- We're turf people, so we can tell you how the oval is holding up, not just mark it
- Family-run, based in Beenleigh, covering schools up to 400 km away
Our guide to school oval maintenance covers looking after the ground between carnivals.
Three steps to carnival day
Free onsite check
We walk the oval with you, measure up, note the pitch, goals and sprinkler heads, and work out which track and events will fit.
Clear plan and price
You get the layout, a marking date, a backup date and a firm price. Jobs start from $220.
Marking day
Our crew sets out and paints the track and event areas a day or two before the carnival, ready for the first race.
Common questions
How much does school carnival line marking cost?
How far ahead should we book carnival marking?
How close to the carnival do you mark?
Can you fit a 400 m track on our oval?
Do you mark cross-country courses?
Can the track stay marked for PE lessons afterwards?
Book your carnival marking
Tell us the carnival date, the events you're running and roughly how many students take part. We'll come out, measure the oval, check what fits around the pitch and goals, and give you a firm price. No charge, no obligation.
- Jobs from $220
- Homes within 100 km of Beenleigh
- Sports fields across South East QLD and Northern NSW