I recently noticed the lack of public running tracks in Chicago, where I live, and after some minor research I was shocked to discover how expensive a running track is, not only to build but to maintain etc. I'm surprised no one has figured out a more cost efficient model. Why exactly are they do prohibitively costly?
Expensive equipment required and high labour costs probably. They re-did the surface on one near my place last year, took ages to compete.
A quick search showed they cost ~$1 mill.....that's lower than I would have thought to be honest.
Dirt and grass tracks are dirt cheap.
Dirt and grass tracks wrote:
Dirt and grass tracks are dirt cheap.
And they work good too.
Simple economics.
Not very many people buy running tracks so they are expensive. How often do you see new running tracks built? Running track technology doesn’t progress, and there are no economies of scale.
If running tracks were mass produced in China and then shipped to the US and sold in Walmart then the price would plummet.
As an alternative, treadmills are relatively inexpensive when compared to running tracks.
WarrickDone wrote:
Why exactly are they do prohibitively costly?
Governments and schools are the only entities that buy them.