Postcollegiate - Do you have trouble finding local tracks that allow the public to run on?

Depending on your area, it might just be COVID restrictions. My city sucks for public track access anyway, but maybe you'll get lucky when all this stuff is done

Rotate tracks, jump the fence, and make it quick. If you ask... some loser no-bird will find a way NOT to help you.

Tell them that “Mark said it was what you are supposed to do.” Mark who? “He works in facilities.... or athletics [depending on who asks].”

I earned my GED in 8th grade by sneaking into basketball gyms. Funny thing... at Cornell, the best way to sneak into the gym was via the police entrance. After a few weeks they would just nod like I worked there. I just stayed on the opposite end from the badge monitors and it worked 95% of the time.

Good luck!

Don't need tracks, thankfully.

Yep, schools are pretty protective of their tracks during the daytime. You can likely get on school tracks in the super early morning or in the evening or on the weekend. Do you have any tracks near you that aren't connected to the school? Maybe in their own complex where you can get on/off. Honestly, you can do pretty much any workout on the roads that you could do on a track if you have a good loop. If you 1000% need a track, one of your workout days is probably gonna have to become a weekend day.

I'm not aware of a track near me that isn't fenced. Some of the fences are easy to climb or squeeze through. If they really don't want you there they will let you know. Obviously don't use during school hours or when the school is practicing.

If you're a serious runner you could probably pretty easily make friends with the distance coach. I'm sure they would sympathize with your situation. They could tell you when the team is using it.

I don't go to facilities where you blatantly have to jump tall fences, etc. and there's really no way to talk your way out of a trespassing charge. However, I trespass during off hours at tracks with posted signs if the facility has some sort of accessible area (gaps in the fence, open gates, etc.). Security and law enforcement has driven by while I'm running on the tracks and nobody has ever questioned the old guy getting his workout in. I've got a canned response ready if I'm ever questions.

If that fails, you may want to ask the coaches or someone in the district's athletic department if it's ok for your to train on the track. Maybe also check with a local running club to see if any of the area tracks are open to the public.

Very few tracks around here are locked. I know of 1 around me but it is a college track in the football stadium that a local high school uses instead of having their own.

There are a few more closed over night but I never have trouble finding a jr high or high school track.

pushowmike wrote:

I've had this issue for awhile. Every school either has locked fences or posted signs. I use to just ignore the signs and not have much issue. However, where I'm currently living, every track has a locked fence with no trespessing signs.

I'm becoming annoyed with why schools don't thave community hours.

While it may seem backwards, I've found the most success having access to tracks at Charter Schools and Private Schools. I would do my track workouts before 8AM before any class or sports teams would be using the track. Public schools tend to be much more restrictive in the cities where I've lived.

After reading these replies, it's no wonder Professional TRACK AND FIELD is virtually non-existent in the United States. The tracks are seemingly only available to endurance runners sneaking some repeats in.

Sometimes the high schools lock their tracks near where I live. They have done this more during the last nine months. (Covid-19) However, most of the middle schools do not have fencing so they are open. Some have all weather tracks and some don't. Currently there are no schools having in class instruction so the campuses are basically empty.

The High School track near my home is open to the public after 4:00pm and from 7:00am to 11:00am during the Covid-19 pandemic. The rest of the time it is locked. Yes, you could probably climb over the fence. Schools in the area are all closed. Everything is done remotely.

Yes. Thankfully, the closest track to my house is now unlocked. Finally! It has been locked since March. Unfortunately, there are always clueless walkers who take up a bunch of room and won’t move out of lanes 1/2.

Two issues many schools face:

1. There is always some douche bags (probably non runners) who will go into the facility and vandalize , ruining it for everyone else.

2. Security on school campuses is a big issue.

Join a local running club, often times they will negotiate for time on tracks for their members.

runman1954 wrote:

Two issues many schools face:

1. There is always some douche bags (probably non runners) who will go into the facility and vandalize , ruining it for everyone else.

2. Security on school campuses is a big issue.

Join a local running club, often times they will negotiate for time on tracks for their members.

I think your first point is the main reason. Ruins it for about 95% of the people who want to use the facility for what it's intended for.