Recently I saw the HS team practicing after school. I stopped by, said hello to the coach, said I was a lifelong runner, ran in college, blah blah. Asked if minded if I used the track while they worked out. He got angry and said absolutely not and that I shouldn't be anywhere near the kids.
Ran by a few days later, lacrosse is practicing. Decided to try my luck. Coach said I could use the track, just stay out of the way. I even fetch their balls during my rest, just toss em back onto the field. Spoke to some community members about this and apparently everyone dislikes the track coach and he's a creep.
Moral of the story, just try.
I'd tell you to get lost too. My kids are using it and you want to join in? Talk about creepy.
Dude, it's not "creepy". A grown man is not "creepy", just as a black person is not "sketchy". People of different ages have been interreacting normally since the beginning of time. Are there creepy pedos? of course, but they don't get to dictate. It's a tiny fraction of the population.
That said, you should not use the track while the actual school team is using the track. Come back when practice is over. Duh! Mind if I shoot hoops while the basketball team is practicing? GTFO!
there is no wear and tear from running on a track, give me a break
track deterioration is 99.5% attributable to sun, freeze, rain, snow, soils moving, etc.
I suspect basic liability is not much of a factor and is covered with existing insurance and common law
taxpayers own this facility....it does not mean they get free use of anything, anytime, but it is reasonable to be able to use an outside track at a public school in your neighborhood where your tax dollars are spent.....same goes for tennis courts
Wait until you hear about track resurfacing, and how the armory has redone lane 1 multiple times because it gets worn faster. Not saying it's a great reason for schools to not allow you on the track though.
Yeah, I'm not saying I agree with it, but it has been an excuse I've heard. Plus the usual "public" isn't a one-off college athlete doing a workout. It's people walking 5 across, kids on bikes, etc.
I have never kicked anyone off the track before but if you are there during one of my practices we will definitely have a friendly conversation.
We sometimes will get closed practice directives from the school department we work for but I would be nice about things if I had to tell them to leave.
I have never had any issues with anyone on the track. I have actually never had anything close to what I would consider an inappropriate interaction whereas on the road we have had numerous incidents when I had to intervene, but never with other people that are out exercising.
there is no wear and tear from running on a track, give me a break
track deterioration is 99.5% attributable to sun, freeze, rain, snow, soils moving, etc.
I suspect basic liability is not much of a factor and is covered with existing insurance and common law
taxpayers own this facility....it does not mean they get free use of anything, anytime, but it is reasonable to be able to use an outside track at a public school in your neighborhood where your tax dollars are spent.....same goes for tennis courts
Wait until you hear about track resurfacing, and how the armory has redone lane 1 multiple times because it gets worn faster. Not saying it's a great reason for schools to not allow you on the track though.
That's not the same. First, that's an inside track so the surface lasts longer vs outside. Long enough for there to be a difference. Second, that track likely gets way more use than your average joe public high school. Third, like I said, 99.5% of the damage done to an outside track at a regular public high school comes from the elements, not from running.
If I was running 400s or 800s I would always use lanes 3 to 8. If you are running longer distances, you really don't need a track.
I agree 100%, but non-serious-runner-types (not derogatory) like to use the track for convivence. They want to run one or maybe two miles for basic exercise purposes. Don't have a gps. Some women feel safer on a track. Some just like the consistency element of going around in circles on a level track with a consistent surface. I hate running anything further than an 800 on a track, personally.
If I was running 400s or 800s I would always use lanes 3 to 8. If you are running longer distances, you really don't need a track.
I agree 100%, but non-serious-runner-types (not derogatory) like to use the track for convivence. They want to run one or maybe two miles for basic exercise purposes. Don't have a gps. Some women feel safer on a track. Some just like the consistency element of going around in circles on a level track with a consistent surface. I hate running anything further than an 800 on a track, personally.
Yeah, I mean there is more wear on lane 1 but the bigger problem is always school boards waiting too long to resurface the track.
Aside from that as I said before I never had a problem. When we have a workout I ask walkers, etc. to use the outer lanes. They are always cooperative.
Of I had some guy there saying creepy things to our girls I would act on that but again, never a problem.
I have had two people arrested before on the roads and several other incidents. They were not runners.
Wait until you hear about track resurfacing, and how the armory has redone lane 1 multiple times because it gets worn faster. Not saying it's a great reason for schools to not allow you on the track though.
Yeah, I'm not saying I agree with it, but it has been an excuse I've heard. Plus the usual "public" isn't a one-off college athlete doing a workout. It's people walking 5 across, kids on bikes, etc.
Like any public recreation place, park, public tennis court, swimming pool, playground, basketball courts, etc., there are usually posted rules. Most people follow the rules.
I agree 100%, but non-serious-runner-types (not derogatory) like to use the track for convivence. They want to run one or maybe two miles for basic exercise purposes. Don't have a gps. Some women feel safer on a track. Some just like the consistency element of going around in circles on a level track with a consistent surface. I hate running anything further than an 800 on a track, personally.
Yeah, I mean there is more wear on lane 1 but the bigger problem is always school boards waiting too long to resurface the track.
Aside from that as I said before I never had a problem. When we have a workout I ask walkers, etc. to use the outer lanes. They are always cooperative.
Of I had some guy there saying creepy things to our girls I would act on that but again, never a problem.
I have had two people arrested before on the roads and several other incidents. They were not runners.
I agree. Administrators and people "in charge" are inclined to overreact to the exceptions. There are very very few problems relative to the times there are no problems and things are working just fine. People use the track (and tennis courts) at my local high school without incident. It's working just as it should. No need to overthink things or create problems where problems don't exist.
They got me at the track! On mile four of my 5x mile workout, the swat team surrounded the oval. They proceeded to dunk me in the steeple pit and drag me to the cop car. I'm posting this on the way to jail. Looks like its a decade in the slammer for me: the charge, running on a high school track. The cops assure me that I'll have unlimited computer access, but the internet is so slow I'll probably only be able to access letsrun.
That said, you should not use the track while the actual school team is using the track. Come back when practice is over. Duh! Mind if I shoot hoops while the basketball team is practicing? GTFO!
If there's open lanes, it's after school, and I asked to do strides in the outside lane and stay out of the way? Nope, I don't care if a HS team is practicing and I'll try my luck and ask the coach. People did it when I was in HS, which wasn't some long forgotten time ago.
It's like:
Mind if I shoot hoops on the only basketball court you have while school practice is going on?
vs
Mind if I shoot hoops while the basketball team is practicing on that free half court over there after hours while a sign explicitly says I have permission to use the facilities during non-school hours between sunrise and sunset?
I'm home for break from school, run in college. Need to get my workout in. My mom tells me I'll get arrested if i do this
Theoretically yes as you likely will be trespassing.
This comes up often. People think just because the track is at a public, government funded school that the public has a right to use it. You do not. Just as you do not have the right to use the chemistry lab or a classroom for a meeting without school permission.
Would you get arrested? Not likely. Probably worst thing would be security running you off.
Weird how High School Tracks were ALWAYS OPEN to the Public during non School Hours, Then they started Building Fences and Locking them so The Public could not use Them (Some jump the Fence, But they put up signs not for Public Use) I can not think of any reason for not allowing the Public be able to run on them, after all Tracks were open for Public Use Probably as long as they have had Tracks, then about 10 Years ago they stopped allowing the public to use them, I have no Idea Why?
Why? It is additional wear and tear on the track that then comes out of the school funding.
Why? People let their dogs in and they poop all over the place.
Why? Someone trips and falls and then sues. The school might win, but the legal fees in defending itself still get paid.
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