Venue Overview
The Richmond Olympic Oval is an international centre of excellence for sport, recreation, health, wellness, fitness, culture and community events.The Oval offers an inspiring environment for all ages and skill levels to progress towards their own personal podiums.
As the premier venue of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the Richmond Olympic Oval hosted 12 medal events in long track speed skating. These events attracted over 100,000 spectators to the venue and saw three Olympic records set - in the Men’s 5,000m, 10,000m and Team Pursuit races.
Officially opened in December 2008, this breathtaking venue on the banks of the Fraser River is a hallmark of sustainability, accessibility and world-class sportsmanship. The Oval has won more than thirty awards for architectural design, construction and sustainability, including the prestigious Institution of Structural Engineers top award for Sports or Leisure Structures and the IOC/IAKS Gold Medal for sports and leisure facilities already in operation. The Oval is certified at LEED Silver status for its environmentally-friendly design and sustainability measures.
The Richmond Olympic Oval is a 32,000 square metre, multi-use facility capable of hosting a wide variety of summer and winter sports, recreation, health and wellness programs, cultural events and community activities. The Oval is located at 6111 River Road in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada.
- 23,000 sq ft fitness centre with stunning views of the North Shore mountains and Fraser River
- Over 200 pieces of strength and cardio equipment
- 6,400 sq ft climbing Wall
- 2 Olympic-sized ice rinks
- 18 badminton courts
- 13 FIVB regulation volleyball courts
- 10 FIBA regulation basketball courts
- 3 FIFA regulation indoor soccer fields
- 16 international-sized table tennis tables
- 200m, 5-lane training track
- 110m, 5-lane sprint track
- Performance training centre
- Indoor rowing and paddling centre
- Group rowing and spinning studio
- Kinesis core conditioning room
- Mind/body studio
- Group fitness studio
- Sports leagues and training programs
- Personal training
- Oval sport camps
- Child minding
- Meeting and event spaces
For the 2010 Games, the Oval housed a 400-metre track with capacity for approximately 8,000 spectators. Its unique and innovative design made it the signature venue for the Games and one of the Games' busiest venues
The Oval also played an important role in achieving a drug-free 2010 Olympic Winter Games as the location of the official Olympic doping control laboratory.
Pre-Games events included the 2008 and 2009 Canadian Single Distance Championships and the 2009 World Single Distance Championships, among other national and international speed skating and sport events.
Since the 2010 Games, the Oval has hosted elite level competition in a wide variety of summer, winter and wheelchair sports and events including the 2010 World Wheelchair Rugby Championships, the 2011 World Masters Badminton Championships and the 2012 ISKF National Karate Championship. The Oval has also hosted elite level competition in table tennis, volleyball, basketball, wheelchair basketball, athletics, fencing, taekwondo, karate, floorball, cheerleading, ice hockey and more.
The Oval is also home to national centres of sports excellence for ice hockey, table tennis and volleyball, as well as the Athletes’ Performance Mentorship program and Canadian Sport Centre Pacific’s Ignite program. The Centres of Excellence at the Oval offer superior coaching, technical leadership and play host to regional, national and international competitions.
In addition to acting as a centre for elite sport training and competition, the Oval also offers extensive service to the community.
The Oval’s main activity area features three Zones: the Ice Zone, holding two international-sized ice sheets; the Court Zone, large enough to hold up to 10 full-sized basketball courts; and the Track Zone, with a 200-metre running track, 110-metre sprint track and a climbing wall with 31 different routes for all skill levels. The Fitness Level features one of the region’s largest fitness centres with the latest advancements in exercise equipment.
Other permanent features include the Riverport Rowing and Paddling Centre, the LifeMark Sport Medicine Centre, community activity areas, as well as restaurant and retail space. The Oval has two large outdoor plazas suitable for hosting a wide variety of events and features public art inside and outside of the building. The area surrounding the Oval will be the site of a major urban waterfront neighbourhood incorporating a park and plaza, with residential, commercial and public amenities.
The Richmond Olympic Oval is introducing thousands to sport, fitness and better health. And for those with the talent and passion to do more, there will be opportunities to achieve international sporting success. The Oval and its programming team will provide a pathway between the two, producing the next generation of locally grown champions.
For more on the legacy conversion of the Richmond Olympic Oval, including a full list of planned features for each level, please visit the Oval's website at www.richmondoval.ca.
Background Information
- Richmond Olympic Oval Project Vision
- Where to Find Us
- Richmond Oval Corporation
- Accessibility
- Council and Committee Resolutions, Minutes and Reports
Listing of 2010 and Oval-related reports, 2002-2010 - Summary reports with links to full minutes and staff reports
Additional information
To view the building and construction of the Richmond Oval, please visit the Oval Construction page.
The Richmond Oval Precinct and Surrounding Area Public Art Plan, approved by Richmond City Council as a guideline for developing art opportunities for in and around the Oval, is available on the Richmond Oval Public Art page.
Contact Us
Richmond Olympic Oval
6111 River Road
Richmond, BC
V7C 0A2
Phone: 778-296-1400
Website: www.richmondoval.ca
