How many of you have had a difficult time jumping on a track to do a track workout? Well, you’re not alone. It may be different in some smaller rural areas, but the urban landscape hasn’t been kind to getting track workouts done.
It certainly is not a new issue but does seem to be expanding. More and more schools and school districts are locking their outdoor facilities up. Here are some interesting points and counter-points.
- Rarely are there any communities that have a public standard 400 meter running track. Not even city parks, recreation centers or ballfields have them.
Here in the Phoenix area there have been huge recreational facilities built – fields of every sort. Much of the money comes from a sport district that was created in conjunction with the Phoenix Cardinals stadium construction. None of the facilities over the entire valley (40 miles by 40 miles in dimensions) have a track.
- The public schools are tax funded by the people in the community, yet, even when the facilities are not used for and by school activities and teams – the locked facilities are not available to the public.
I don’t know if anyone has ever taken a district to task on this. I do know that a good model of cooperation is being forged in some communities. Recently, a local school district worked a cooperative deal with the town for joint use and upkeep of their track – which includes all-comers meets in the late spring!
- Locking up the facilities ”protects” facilities from vandalism.
This is one of those false bureaucratic knee-jerk reactions. The fact is that you only lock out those who would care for the property. You do not lock out vandals. And secondly, perhaps most importantly, the more people you have on site at various times the less liekly a vandal will be there! Vandals don’t want to be seen! Duh!
- Reduced traffic extends the life of the track.
Fascinating, partially true but mostly untrue. I talked with a track construction and maintenance/repair company before. The biggest destructive elements to tracks are spikes, starting blocks and the weather (expecially heat and freezing). It is not the pitter patter of (non-spiked) feet running laps as most of us do.
- Locking up the facilities reduces liabilities.
We live in a letigious society. Everyone is ready to blame (and subsequently sue) someone for there own stupidity. The truth is that locking up the facilities does not prevent law suits.
- Create rules which cannot be complied with to reduce usage.
The Tempe High School district I tried to work with to run a track event required a $2 million insurance policy. That didn’t seem too bad since most require $1 million (which really isn’t bad at a cost of a couple hundred dollars). However, for this sort of venture there is no such thing as a $2 million policy. I know because I researched it nationwide. The basic policy for this type event is $1 million and you cannot simply add on a separate policy. They are only stand-alone $1 million policies. Therefore, in the end the rule the district created effectively eliminated any outside track events on their facilities.
Just within the East Valley of the Phoenix metropolitan area there are opposite approaches to managing this issue. Scottsdale locks all school facilities up. Tempe does not. Mesa does not. Chandler does. So, it also is not an “inner city” protect-the-school issue. These are all neighboring cities with higher socio-economic status.
Here is an observation I’ve made. Mesa has by far the most user friendly facilities. They are used by the community extensively. Any given early morning (0530- 0700 before school activities) there are 30-40 runners moving around the track – all speeds. Almost everyone is courteous. And guess what? That school district just finished having all their high school tracks completely re-done. Yet, they aren’t fighting to keep people off!
Oh, and for those schools that lock up their facilities – guess what – wake up! Your tracks are still being used – respectfully and quietly – by many runners who just climb your stupid fences. And they will still be vandalized by those who want to vandalize something. By the way, some of the turnstiles make perfect ladders.
Finally, I have talked with many coaches, runners and running club representatives who have expressed similar concerns. It is a local and nationwide issue. I would love to hear from anyone who has had some success in dealing with their local “powers that be”. With that – I’m off to the track now.
Filed under: Running, The Critic, The Running Life - Philosophy
Interesting dilemma, in the northeast is seems to be less of a problem. Most high school tracks are open for all to run on. And some are extremely nice rubberized mondo style tracks. Where we run into issues is during the winter and indoor tracks. There are very few around, and the few that are avaliable tend to be inaccesible, or only available at certain strange times.
Good point… I’m glad there is general availability. I remember it being that way as well. Do you know if it is the same in larger cities? Small towns?
Any inside information on any agreements for track clubs to use school facilities (costs, insurance, etc.)? I know MVS uses both indoor and outdoor right?
most small towns allow anyone to use the outdoor track facilities..there are very few that chain the fences..even some of the very rich communites leave the tracks open for use. When it comes to large groups using the tracks, ie track clubs, you must get the ok from the proper officials, but in general that is rarely an issue. Only when it comes to indoor tracks, probably because they are located actually within the school walls , does it become an issue. Lexington high school allows people in at certain times in the evening. The Reggie Lewis center charges you a reasonable fee to use the track, but the track is used so often for meets during the winter it is only available after 8pm at night. MVS has a deal with the local high school, I dont believe any fee is charged, and they allow access for 2 hours 1 night a week.
Dean: Terrific blog by the way. I read virtually all your posts. This one really caught my eye, because I didn’t realize anyone but me was concerned. I think it’s a national fitness travesty. We have a huge, high-cost obesity crisis, so we lock all our tracks. Oh, yeah, that makes sense. My small community has a lousy, non-rubberized track, and it’s locked all the time. And the fence around it is too high to scale. I wouldn’t even want to do track workouts on this track, but I think it should be available for fitness walkers. I can’t believe I pay taxes to keep this important fitness facility locked. Best, Amby Burfoot, Runner’s World
Amby,
Thanks for reading. It would be interesting to see if more focus could be put on this issue… maybe this could be a topic/forum in a RW issue? Tie in fitness, obesity issues, safety of running, liabilties… but then not just the problem but also look at communities that have found cooperative and community agreements or simply “trust’ their community to use the faciltiies. I would love to start a trend towards opening them up for public use. If blueprints for success can be highlighted the information and articles themselves could be used locally to push for use.
Think about it… this might be something that will make a real difference.
I was just trying to google public running tracks in Phoenix when I can across this article. I am from Montana where you can go run the high school and middle school tracks anytime without having to jump a fence.
I moved to PHX 3 months ago only to find this is a very annoying place to try to run. I can only take so much of the canal, and really don’t want to do my speed training on the treadmill every time. And, of course, the tracks are always locked!
Any ideas on how we try to work toward a remedy to this problem here in the city of Phoenix?
Thanks so much for writing on this.
Erin,
I’m with you. There are some school districts in the area, like I mentioned, who do keep them open. Most middle school tracks here are dirt tracks and are available when school activities aren’t going on. Now, remember, that “Phoenix” though is a city is also really a collection of 10+ cities to make up the “Valley”. Some cities have more than one school district. I mention this to just add to the complexity of attacking this. Each one of those school districts set policies on access AND in some cases they leave it to the individual schools!!!!
If you read my reply to Amby Burfoot, I think first is awareness of the issue and that could best be done in a big forum… Runner’s World would be a perfect start. From there I would love to use the data from a national perspective and apply it locally. I want to find a role model city/school and use that as an example of how it can work to convince locals.
If I had special 1:1 relationships with all the district athletic directors it might work the opposite way… start at one district and move onward…. but I don’t have that with but a couple ADs.
Thanks for your reply!
I actually did find a nice open high school track today on 7th St just north of Indian School. I am hoping it is open all the time as there were other people using it.
If there were any way I could help your cause (though not sure i personally could) please feel free to ask my assistance. I would be honored!
Coach Dean, I was wondering if you have any news on this issue since you published this article. Did Runner’s World ever write a piece on track access? Do you know of any access groups? Rock climbing has the Access Fund and mountain biking has IMBA. Maybe runners need their own access group?
Mark,
No follow up has been done to my knowledge. I have talked with Amby but not on this specific issue. I like your suggestion about an access group. I have no idea about how they work, how they get started or anything. If you have some insights and interest… drop me a line. coach@rxrunning.com
Maybe this would be something that Amby and RW might have some interest in getting the ball rolling?
Hey,
We have this problem big time in Florida. Not only are their few schools with tracks, the FEW that have public tracks lock them up and post signs threatening prosecution to the full extend of the law for trespassing! So frustration. Hence my Achilles tendonitis from doing speed work in my hilly neighborhood, and dodging stray dogs the whole time.
Kristen,
This is ridiculous. I thank you for your comment. I’d really like to bring some attention to this issue.
Someone mentioned 7th St & Indian School. What school is there? I only know of Indian School Steele Park in that area but no school. I am having the WORST time here in Phoenix finding a track as well. Which is really disappointing coming from Ohio where they have great rubber tracks that are always open.
[...] I can’t do speed work – I don’t have a track! Posted on 8 July 2009 by Dean Hebert This article is in response to another couple interesting comments I’ve overheard recently. One runner going on vacation wasn’t going to have access to any track facilities another lives somewhat remotely and doesn’t have a neighborhood track (even if he did it would probably be inaccessible… but I digress). [...]
I completely agree with this article. I live in Las Vegas and I am sick of every track being locked up. Why are High School runners the only people allowed to run on a track? It is quite a workout just scaling the tall fences to get on the track. The track is really good for my hip problems since it is flat.