Arsonists have set fire to a shed at Woden Athletics Park, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars damage and forcing the cancellation of an athletics meet on Saturday.
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The Woden athletics community is dumbfounded by the blaze, which has come just before the start of the season.
Firefighters attended Woden Athletics Park about 11.15pm on Monday to the scene of a fire raging in a shed on the site.
The shed housed the sporting equipment of five different community groups - Athletics ACT, ACT Masters, Little Athletics ACT, Woden Little Athletics Club and Woden Athletic Club - with the fire causing about $200,000 damage.
Everything from shot puts, discusses and electrical equipment was in the shed.
The fire also destroyed hard copies of results from ACT athletics meets dating back more than 60 years.
The burglars also stole a defibrillator from another building on the site and smashed nearby windows.
Athletics ACT president Neil Boden said it was a massive loss to the amateur organisations based there.
The timing could not have been worse with a new athletic season about to start.
"Everyone is totally devastated," Mr Boden said.
"We operate on a shoestring so it certainly is a devastating blow. We're all dumbfounded just about the willful damage."
In a blow to Athletics ACT, a meet scheduled for Saturday has had to be cancelled because of the damage.
Little Athletics ACT executive officer Renee Cassell said the athletics community was extremely disappointed.
"There has been a lot of work put into that shed," she said.
"A lot of hours spent getting it ready.
"It is the start of the athletics season in summer and it is extremely disappointing that it happened, but we are happy that no one got injured."
Woden Thunder Little Athletics Club secretary Mel Harding said the club had only recently bought thousands of dollars worth of equipment.
She said a holiday clinic for children to improve their athletic skills had to be cancelled because of the fire.
"We're pretty disgusted and really disappointed that within the community this has happened," Ms Harding said.
"It's upsetting that people can do reckless things just because they're bored."
A spokeswoman for ACT Fire & Rescue said firefighters attended the scene about 11.15pm on Monday, quickly knocking down the flames.
Firefighters had to cut into the shed for access to extinguish the fire and ventilate the area.
Police attended the fire and are continuing investigations.
No arrests have yet been made and police are asking for witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage in the area at the time to come forward.
