the patriot wrote:
easily lehigh. 200m track with 90m straightaways and some kind of poured surface that probably hasn't been identified.
What?? Lehigh is fine. The fact that you can wear spikes on it already makes it lightyears ahead of LVC or Kutztown, to name a few. Unless LVC actually got a mondo track. Last time I ran there it was a shitty slippery surface. Either way, the geometry still sucks. Something like 187 meters with straightaways on the "curves."
I'm going to throw my vote out there for the University of Rochester. 3-4 lanes wide (depending on where you are on the track), 207m long, made out of what seems to be a rubber mat.
The awful part is the setup- the track is shaped like a bullet, curved at one end, the other end is almost square. The curved end is actually in a tunnel, with old fashioned radiators blasting, and pipes very close overhead (or head height if you're over 6'3" or so). Stifling hot and dry in the tunnel because of the heaters. The other end of the track is usually closer to 50 degrees because of the drafty metal doors. The jump pit is situated such that the jumpers often have to start their runs on the inside lanes of the track while events are running.
Not the worst track ever, but the worst I had to compete on during college.
Drake has the worst
The indoor track at UW-LaCrosse is really bad.
What do you need an indoor track for ? Just run outside like they do in Southern California, or take off the winter and study like the PAC-10 does. There's plenty of time later to train.
Probably not the worst, but Ohio State has a pretty shitty indoor track. I'm not sure the last time it was redone, the '70s? I was warming up there last year and tripped on a dip on the back straight. Heating vents above make the straights alternate between wintry and tropical. At least it's a full 200m, though.
yup, that's the one
Maine's indoor track was quite bad. The turns were basically on the walls.
University of Wyoming is pretty bad. The track is 160m flat with 20m straightaways. Not that this is the track's problem, but UW is at over 7000ft, so that slows down times even more.
Carleton College used to have it. It was under the football stadium. I think it was about 180 yards, with about 60 yards in the turns that were banked at about 35 degrees. To add to the degree of difficulty were cement pillars placed right next to the track on the corners, so when you leaned you had to watch out for hitting your head/shoulders on the pillars. They were padded, thankfully.
dingle wrote:
Carleton College used to have it. It was under the football stadium. I think it was about 180 yards, with about 60 yards in the turns that were banked at about 35 degrees. To add to the degree of difficulty were cement pillars placed right next to the track on the corners, so when you leaned you had to watch out for hitting your head/shoulders on the pillars. They were padded, thankfully.
When I was at Carleton in 2004 for a summer class, the track was still there.
stevens institute of technology- hoboken, nj. ITs 110m upstairs, 3 lanes, some wierd surface and the place shakes. The bldg has to be around 100yrs old. A classic, but a piece
I am going to third the armory track in baltimore. I ran regional's and states there in late 90's. We used to spray our shoes with hairspray to get a little more traction, but too much and you would get (caught) disqualified. Between events they used to actually mop it. Terrible. Oh and that cough, I've had dome cough, but never that bad. Surprisingly though, there were some fast times on there. The Thomas brothers from Jamaica come to mind (Dwight and Dwayne).
The worst I've run on is Hillsdale College. They also have the best outdoor track I have run on.
Usher wrote:
dingle wrote:Carleton College used to have it. It was under the football stadium. I think it was about 180 yards, with about 60 yards in the turns that were banked at about 35 degrees. To add to the degree of difficulty were cement pillars placed right next to the track on the corners, so when you leaned you had to watch out for hitting your head/shoulders on the pillars. They were padded, thankfully.
When I was at Carleton in 2004 for a summer class, the track was still there.
Oh believe me boys, it's still there. Every year we go there for the Carleton (Outdoor) Relays and my team sets up camp underneath the stadium next to the crappy ass indoor track. Sometimes people warm up on it, but it's a p.o.s. Luckily for Carleton (and the rest of us in the MIAC) they built a brand new track that is fairly sweet, but it's not quite 200m. I think it might be like 180m or something around there.
Pally B wrote:
University of Wyoming is pretty bad. The track is 160m flat with 20m straightaways. Not that this is the track's problem, but UW is at over 7000ft, so that slows down times even more.
That is pretty bad but Adams has a few even on this track. It is at 7500 feet along with 20m straights. Now it also is 14X meters in the first lane and the curves are not even full curves they have a 5m straight in the curves because the building is too small. If that doesn't make it the shittiest track I don't know what would.
Ashe center in VA is 145.45 meters. in a crappy warehouse. i believe it is or atleast used to be virginia unions basketball court. sooo ghetto
Ever seen the track they used to use for the Alabama state meet? Ya, hands down the worst and it was in a rodeo arena to boot!
goatcheese wrote:
arthur ashe center in VA
+1000 on this one. Worst track ever.
Suffied High School in CT. Ok, not a track, but we raced around the halls. The coolest part was you got to take left and right turns as well as a carpeted section.