Forums >General Running>Public vs "Private" track
Problem Child
I live in an area with multiple high schools and access to the track is varied. Some schools have the track open to the public all year long, except for when track season or meets are going on (Assumption. I've never been there when this happens, and I'd wait until practice is over before starting). The track closes to me has a fence around it and is closed to public use. The school 10 minutes away (existed before the closed track school was built) is open to the public as are at least two others (farther away from me) that I've run on. The school has told me the track is no open to the public. They never gave a reason and I never asked why a public high school track is not open to the public when there isn't a track meet. The baseball, basketball, and soccer fields are both open to the public and are regularly used. This is not 100% closed campus and the tracks open to public use during non-school hours have not been vandalized. Before you say "well then go to the other track that's open" I'll say "you didn't answer my question."
Is this (closed track) common in most places? My home town has two high schools and both tracks were open to the public.
Is it appropriate to ask why a track isn't open to the public and if so is a "because I said so" (i.e. school policy) an appropriate answer?
Does the school being funded by tax dollars "mandate" it to be open to the public?
If the track should be kept close why? also, why would you allow the other sports venues to be closed?
I personally think the public high school track should be open to all to use just like the baseball fields, soccer fields, and parking lot.
Many of us aren't sure what the hell point you are trying to make and no matter how we guess, it always seems to be something else. Which usually means a person is doing it on purpose.
VDOT 53.37
5k18:xx | Marathon 2:55:22
RIP Milkman
The difference with a track vs. a baseball field is that tracks wear down overtime and require replacement. I imagine some schools close the tracks in order to keep costs (and your tax dollars) down.
5K: 16:37 (11/20) | 10K: 34:49 (10/19) | HM: 1:14:57 (5/22) | FM: 2:36:31 (12/19)
Appropriate to ask, but I would ask this at the school district level (email the superintendent)
There are a hodgepodge of tracks near me, some open and some not.
"Famous last words" ~Bhearn
Does the White House being funded by tax dollars mandate that you can waltz in and take a nap in the Lincoln Bedroom any time you like?
Pretty sure it's up to the school. "Because I said so" is probably a good enough reason, although unfortunate for those of us who want to use them. Some may have had problems historically with vandalism or things getting torn up. It's a pretty tiny group of people they're pissing off by denying access. Most tracks I've used have been open, but not 100% uniformly or 24/7.
Dave
The track may not be covered by tax dollars, totally depends on your area. Our local high school did lots of fundraising for a new field. The track may wind up locked because someone decided to shot fireworks off the fake turf and burned it.
I tend to go to "College Tracks", those at least around here seem to be open more, or have posted public use hours etc...
I wonder if hs tracks are closed more so because of kids/under 18yo.
Someone once told me....for track workouts....have a backup plan...and another backup plan.
For me that's usually 2 tracks, and if both are occupied, I hit a trail and do my track workouts on a trail, whether that's a timed repeat for distance....etc...
Which I must say I did this recently and it was so nice being on the trail doing my workout, perhaps in certain situations a track would be better for a given workout, but I was doing some tempo repeats, etc... and the trail open nature was kind of nice.
PS, local running stores...may have track days workouts and have the track reserved certain day/time... I suppose you could show up and do your own track workout if you didn't want to do the clubs workout...
300m- 37 sec.
Does the White House being funded by tax dollars mandate that you can waltz in and take a nap in the Lincoln Bedroom any time you like? Pretty sure it's up to the school. "Because I said so" is probably a good enough reason, although unfortunate for those of us who want to use them. Some may have had problems historically with vandalism or things getting torn up. It's a pretty tiny group of people they're pissing off by denying access. Most tracks I've used have been open, but not 100% uniformly or 24/7.
I believe the white house is a place of business. I'm allowed to go in there with a guide who is (maybe) paid. So yeah I think I should be able to go into the white house. Any time I like? no but I'm allowed to go in there, right?
So we can tear up the grass on the baseball fields and the soccer fields, but the track somehow breaks down because it's used in the off season. Oh and we just raised sales tax here, along with promising teachers a 3% raise so my tax dollars are doing anything but going down. Public tracks out there, or just all park running?
They actually use one of the tracks I know is open publicly. 5:30 meeting time which is after any sports practice. Driving the 20-30 minutes to get there, then to get home, prompted me to look into my local track. I wasn't sure if closed tracks were the norm across the country since I grew up in a Podunk town of 50,000 people with only one high school and one middle school. Both had open tracks.
I don't know about "most places" but in my experience, just about every high school track in Massachusetts--and in many other parts of New England--is open to the public. We are also somewhat different in that our school districts are a product of the city or town, not the county or some regional conglomerate, and so tend to be pretty community friendly.
But I travel *a lot* for work and I've found that in the rest of the country it is very different. Some high school tracks are open to the public, many are not.
Of course it's fair to ask if/why a track isn't open to the public. However, as others have said, the fact that it's taxpayer funded doesn't mandate that every citizen have access to it anymore than you should be allowed to walk into police headquarters and sit at the chief's desk, or take one of your town's fire trucks for a quick spin.
Runners run
an amazing likeness
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Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.
You are allowed to go into the White House. You're allowed to go into the school. Let's consider the track like the Lincoln bedroom.
There are probably some liability considerations, but it wouldn't hurt to ask.
There was a point in my life when I ran. Now, I just run.
We are always running for the thrill of it
Always pushing up the hill, searching for the thrill of it
My old high school track was just like you said: closed to the public, although I would always sneak on (whoops). Anyway, I don't think "funded by public money" is really an excuse to use it. As others have alluded to, there are a lot of things funded with taxpayer dollars that aren't meant for public use. Also, torn up grass is much easier to repair than a torn up track.
In regards to your other questions, I don't think "because I said so" is an appropriate answer for anything.
I don't think "because I said so" is an appropriate answer for anything.
You don’t have kids, do you?
There are a few reasons a HS would lock their track, some having nothing to do with the track. It could be to keep people off the football field, it could be that another sports team that uses the field (lacrosse, soccer, etc) have equipment on the field that they want to ensure doesn’t get stolen. Track-related, they could have a new high jump or pole vault pad they want to prevent from getting damaged.
And, the other person who noted wear and tear on the track - that could be it too.
So, I guess the answer is “it depends”...