In 2017, UK Athletics, as part of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the IAAF World Championships in London, turned to RockIT to design and implement a resilient, high-capacity network for this global event. Building on years of successful collaboration, RockIT developed an infrastructure tailored to the needs of a high-profile, large-scale championship that also included both a UK Athletics Diamond League event and a World Para Athletics Championship before and after the main event at The London Stadium.
The backbone of the network centred on a fully redundant core, ensuring zero downtime for essential operations across broadcast, timing, media, and technical teams. This core was reinforced with dual 10Gb leased lines, meeting the needs of the expansive media presence and broadcast operations. To accommodate surging demand, additional media workspace facilities were created along with a secondary broadcast compound over a kilometre away from the stadium. Both areas were connected via redundant fibre, offering robust connectivity across distances and ensuring uninterrupted operations for media and production teams.
For the marathon and racewalk events at the historic Tower of London, timing data and audio communications were required using Dante. To achieve this, RockIT established MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) connectivity between these remote sites and the main venue, allowing precise, real-time data flow crucial for timing and reliable audio connectivity for comms.
With over 500 Commentary Information Systems in place, broadcast teams could operate smoothly, with instantaneous data access across the venue. For Deltatre, RockIT deployed 24km of XLR cable to provide the event critical comms system for the sport. The stadium infrastructure alone featured hundreds of switches and access points to support high-density connectivity for thousands of users, while a carefully segmented network separated media, technical teams, and operations, ensuring optimal bandwidth for each.
RockIT’s extensive experience with UK Athletics and major international sporting events enabled us to deliver a reliable, high-performing network for the IAAF London 2017 Championships. The fully redundant core and additional fibre links allowed uninterrupted operations despite the scale and complexity of the event. Our adaptable solutions ensured UK Athletics, media teams, and technical operations could rely on a stable, high-capacity network, enhancing event delivery and supporting the seamless execution of a historic global athletics championship.
