which side of the road do you run on - with or against traffic? (Read 1479 times)

For you Mainiacs, copied from Run to Win's website discussing a race run in Portland Maine over the weekend... "I did not run today. I spent a few hours behind the table in preregistration before the race, and then prevented a small Korean woman from convincing her husband to run everybody over as she waited to cross the race course. Thankfully, I was able to refer her to the officer across the street when she paused to catch her breath, so she started screaming at him instead."

I agree with you. I generally run against the flow of traffic, however the roads I run on for my long run have a couple of sharp curves and I'll generally cross over (they aren't busy roads) and run where the cars coming from behind me will be taking the corner tight and leave plenty of room for me) I almost got hit by a motorcycle a few weeks ago when I forgot to do this. He took the corner so tight, I'm surprised he didn't hit his head on the embannkment. Also, sometimes I'll stay with the flow of traffic when I make a right turn and know that I'm only going a little way and would have to cross back over again real soon. My most recently added leg to my long run takes me out to a major road for about a quarter of a mile. I would have to cross the road and then cross back over again so I feel safer running with the grain for this short distance with lots or shoulder to run on.

Generally, but not always, against. There are some occasions when it is safer to be on the right side of the road such as running over the crest of a hill or around a sharp bend to the left in the road. Of course, my assumption here is that I'm literally running on the road or shoulder not on the sidewalk, there it really doesn't matter. If someone is going to hit you b/c they drove on the sidewalk it won't matter which way they are coming from or whether you see them coming or not unless they've been driving on the sidewalk for a good distance. I know if I stay on only one side of the road for several miles on a road that any camber to it I'll get pain in my knee so I switch every so often just to even out the stresses on my joints. Of course, a lot of the roads I run on aren't high traffic areas so I can hear when something is coming toward me so I can either switch to the other side of the road before they get to me or just get far enough to the side that they won't hit me.

I'm fairly certain that was uncalled for. But hey, the eye roll thing makes you look really smart and far superior to whoever you're eye-rolling at. You should do that all the time. Everyone would think you are way smarter than them and fear your internet eye rolling as if it were the wrath of god.

Easy there. Tom may not have been nice about it in your opinion, but he's right. With a few exceptions (depending on the road), running with traffic is foolish and dangerous, and the poster he was responding to admits to running with traffic sometimes (depending on the direction of the subsequent turn). Tough love isn't always polite.

We'll stay in Maine if you guys stay in Massachusetts!

Amen. A good reason for us to stay in Maine! http://www.thebostonchannel.com/automotive/2221811/detail.html

However, you are kinda setting yourself up for jab or two when you go against 99% of the posts in any forum.

I disagree. Nothing wrong with going against 99% of the opinions on a topic. Assuming you're right. Or at least helpful. But giving advice that borders on suicidal? Not so much. I think your eye-roll was rather kind. Running with traffic is really, really dumb. Running with traffic as you round a corner - so now not only can you not see them, but they can't see you? Even dumberer. That's eye-roll worthy. Actually it needs a better little smiley, maybe a little dude getting squished by a car. But the eye roll will have to do. But then I'm admittedly smart and superior. Fear my wrath. Fear it, I say. MTA: Sheesh ... I forgot the most important part. Continue trembling.

I'm fairly certain that was uncalled for. But hey, the eye roll thing makes you look really smart and far superior to whoever you're eye-rolling at. You should do that all the time. Everyone would think you are way smarter than them and fear your internet eye rolling as if it were the wrath of god.

Also in Tom's defense, you did lead off by calling yourself an idiot.

Tom, No worries, the winky thing probably would have given it a different tone. As for the few other posters... just some thoughts... Do you really want a forum where one should only post if his / her opinion is in the majority? Hardly seems like much a discussion. Now, as for running for and against traffic, and in particular the comments made by Jake... you're reacting without thinking, brother. Look, where I run now is such that I will see at most one or two cars per kilometer in a speed zone that is roughly 30mph. It really does not matter which side of the road I am on. As I said in my original post, if my route takes me onto a busier road I will run on the sidewalk rather than the street. That seems like a no-brainer to me. Now, when I lived in Florida I found myself doing a lot of running on two lane 55mph roads with shoulders that were no more than a foot or two wide. Did I always against the traffic? No. I would have gotten killed. There were several places where one had to run with the traffic. For instance, there were several hills that, if I were running against the traffic, would leave you completely exposed to an oncoming car that cannot see you at all until after it crests the hill, or, you could run with the traffic so the cars could see you all the way up the hill. Which of those options seems more suicidal? A lot of factors came into play when choosing which side of the road I ran on.... hills, curves, the shoulder itself were all factors but I can assure you that there was no blanket always with or always against that was safest. Even where I am now there are a few roads that allow parking on only one side of the road. On those streets I am always going to run the side without parking whether it is for or against traffic simply because it affords me an opportunity to bail that might be blocked by a parked car on the other side. Again, no always right or always wrong answer. Lastly, to the person who made the comment about how unsafe it was to run with traffic and turn also running with traffic.... wha??? Let's say I'm heading south and running with traffic so I'm on the right side of the road. If I turn right I am literally curb hugging the whole way, whereas if I turn from the left side of the road I actually have to cross the southbound traffic. So I'm putting myself in front of oncoming traffic needlessly. In any event, whether I am turning right from the right or left side of the road is utterly irrelevant to whether or not I am visible to the westbound traffic I am joining. Unless, of course, you live in a place that has large six foot walls running down the middle of the road that would prevent a westbound car from seeing southbound traffic.

Well auto insurance rates factor in way more fender benders and thefts than DEATHS but yeah, it's way cheaper to insure a car in Maine than in an urbanized state like Mass. Lots of things are cheaper up that way. 'Course there are laws up theyah that we don't have down heyah. I have a friend who was once cited in Maine for Failure to Report a Submerged Vehicle. Apparently this happens often enough that the state legislature had to come up with a law against it.