<P> Tartan Track is a trademarked all - weather synthetic track surfacing made of polyurethane used for track and field competitions, manufactured by 3M . It lets athletes compete in bad weather without serious performance loss and improves their results over other surfaces . It also provides a more consistent surface for competition even under optimum weather . Such tracks have become the standard for most elite competitions . </P> <P> Because the "Tartan" brand name was the first and was widely successful in its time, the name Tartan has been incorrectly used as a genericized trademark for description of an all - weather running track . </P> <P> 3M's first generation artificial turf of the late 1960s and early 1970s was branded as "Tartan Turf ." </P>

What is the olympic running track made of