Every park bigger than a neighborhood park should have a track - including most state parks and city parks. Instead, in the US, 99% of tracks are at schools, 90% of which are locked up and not open to the public, less they do something other than run repeats on the track or injure themselves and be unable to leave.
And who will take care of the tracks, keeping dog poop, duck poop, bikes, roller bladers, homeless and garbage off the facility. These are not cheap and leaving them open is asking for trouble, with the tracks done in less than 5 years.
Now, if you want an asphalt track with some painted lines on them, go for it.
And who will take care of the tracks, keeping dog poop, duck poop, bikes, roller bladers, homeless and garbage off the facility. These are not cheap and leaving them open is asking for trouble, with the tracks done in less than 5 years.
Now, if you want an asphalt track with some painted lines on them, go for it.
Parks departments will clean daily. Paid for by taxes, preferably from the mega rich. There is nothing to stop the roller bladers, bikers, and ball children from using the track unfortunately - they already do their annoyances at school and college tracks so no difference in that. Homeless who cause problems will be moved by the cops or park rangers as pertinent. State park rangers already do this.
Most school tracks are open to the public as long as there's not a track meet or other game going on. If you live in that district and you pay taxes to that school, technically you are paying for that track, so go use it!
Most school tracks are open to the public as long as there's not a track meet or other game going on. If you live in that district and you pay taxes to that school, technically you are paying for that track, so go use it!
That just isn’t true though. You big simple minded dummy!
Tell me why this isn't true? Also, in my situation I just called the school AD and asked what times would be good for me to use the track. I do most my workouts before school even starts and I've never had an issue or someone asking me what I'm doing.
Every park bigger than a neighborhood park should have a track - including most state parks and city parks. Instead, in the US, 99% of tracks are at schools, 90% of which are locked up and not open to the public, less they do something other than run repeats on the track or injure themselves and be unable to leave.
This must be a regional thing or something. While almost all of our outdoor tracks are indeed at high schools, the vast majority of those are public schools. You can use them anytime school isn't. Even the private universities in the region also don't seem to care who uses their outdoor tracks even though they're probably technically "closed" to the public.
The real shortage in the colder regions is publicly accessible indoor tracks for winter. It'd be great if more (any?) midsized towns had even just a single community sports facility with 200m track. Combine it with a fitness center and tennis/pickleball courts to boost use and fee collection. Instead we get walk/jog "tracks" that are just lines painted on whatever standard flooring is used in the rec center.
I think it depends on where you live. I used to live in PA and in the area I lived in you could walk onto any high school or college track and be alright (with the exception of track meets/football games). I live in Raleigh NC now and there are only two or three tracks that are open to regular public use (two high school and one public track). Every other track you try to get on will be locked up or you will be kicked off by school security or local police. Even Duke and NC State are pretty picky about letting non students on the track. Even back in PA where I used to live a good number of the tracks I used to get on any time will only allow the public on after 5PM or not at all anymore. It depends on where you live and who you know. In my experience, especially as time goes on, you're more likely to get kicked off compared to back in the day.
And who will take care of the tracks, keeping dog poop, duck poop, bikes, roller bladers, homeless and garbage off the facility. These are not cheap and leaving them open is asking for trouble, with the tracks done in less than 5 years.
Now, if you want an asphalt track with some painted lines on them, go for it.
this is the problem. I live right by a public track and trying to actually run intervals on it is a joke. It's become a dog park, a scooter/bike spot, walkers in all lanes, they even play cricket on it although you got a whole field next to it. I'd rather jump a hs fence at 5am anyday if I want to get an actual run in.
Tell me why this isn't true? Also, in my situation I just called the school AD and asked what times would be good for me to use the track. I do most my workouts before school even starts and I've never had an issue or someone asking me what I'm doing.
some hs tracks dont want the public on it even before or after school hours. Our hs track is locked at all times when school is not in session and after school the students can have games till 10pm at times. I can squeeze through the fence at 5am but I've seen the security guard walking around at that hour. I introduced myself and he doesn't mind me there at all but that isn't always the case.
Wishful thinking. BTW, a few public tracks that are open in my area are filled with walkers and kids playing on them. You gonna have to literally fight with them to run your intervals.
As I stated above. In Europe many tracks go around soccer fields and those fields are closed off with high fences and locks, I think because they are run by private clubs.
Here in the US, high schools who spend $500,000 for a new track and close to a million for a turf field, don't want to see their investment destroyed prematurely.
Hence, walking trails or asphalt paths can serve as a substitute and withstand public use. To assume park rangers will clean the track every day is mind blowing. There aren't enough park rangers to keep walking trails free of weeds and tree branches, along with ruts from rain runoff.
As I stated above. In Europe many tracks go around soccer fields and those fields are closed off with high fences and locks, I think because they are run by private clubs.
Here in the US, high schools who spend $500,000 for a new track and close to a million for a turf field, don't want to see their investment destroyed prematurely.
Hence, walking trails or asphalt paths can serve as a substitute and withstand public use. To assume park rangers will clean the track every day is mind blowing. There aren't enough park rangers to keep walking trails free of weeds and tree branches, along with ruts from rain runoff.
I agree. There are thousands upon thousands of runners -- myself included -- who ****wish**** they had access to a track, financially, geographically, or both. Many of the top older track athletes are those who do have regular access, either through financial means or transportation/vehicular means, or because they coach track at schools/colleges. Track is, alas, thus not the most egalitarian form of competitive athletics.
Typically the more rural the area, the better the chance the track is open to the public. There are a couple community tracks in the NYC area that are OK.
My favorite community track was Duniway out in Portland for the few years I lived out there.
However, I don't care much anymore with finding a track. We all got GPS watches, im good with running intervals around a random field or parking lot if I have to.
Every park bigger than a neighborhood park should have a track - including most state parks and city parks. Instead, in the US, 99% of tracks are at schools, 90% of which are locked up and not open to the public, less they do something other than run repeats on the track or injure themselves and be unable to leave.
Posts like this are always weird to me.
In my city in Canada there are multiple proper tracks within a 20-minute drive (rubber surface, fully marked), and then some asphalt ones as well.
Some are school tracks, some are in parks. School tracks are open to the public after 5pm, and city tracks are always open.