On Tuesday morning I had a run-in at the track with some fellow runners. It left me a little uneasy, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. Let me explain before I go into what I really want to talk about — track etiquette.
I pulled up to the track at 6:30 am and met Noemi for our speed session. I noticed there were four other runners, and two walkers. Three of the four runners were running in a tight pack, and the other one was kind of with them, kind of not. I’ve seen the three runners at the track over the last two summers, so I know they weren’t beginner runners. They were on the inside lanes. I noticed right away they weren’t running in their own lanes. They were clumped together and running three abreast.
Noemi and I started our warm-up. We chose lanes 3 and 4. During the third lap, the fourth runner (the one who was with the other three, but not really) sped past me and then slowed to a walk maybe 10 feet in front of me. She then sashayed over to lane 3 (my lane) where she continued walking. Thankfully before I reached her, she started running again, otherwise I would have had to figure out which way to run around her or risk running smack into her.
What happened next was somewhat ludicrous. The three runners had switched direction and were now running three abreast in the opposite direction. Not only that, they had also changed lanes so now they were in lanes 3, 4 and 5. They came barreling down the track toward Noemi and me, and at the last minute, with some shuffling between us and them, moved over to the inside lanes. Those two instances right there really irked me. It seemed like these runners had no concept of track etiquette. But I let it go. I figured they were cooling down and probably going to move over to the outside lanes, given the standoff that had just occurred on the 100m straight. We moved to the inside lanes.
Unfortunately I gave them far too much credit. Again, they came barreling at us in the inside lanes. Another standoff. This time I said something as we approached. I called out and said, “you guys really should be in the outside lanes if you’re running the wrong way.” And what happened? One of the guys called back and said, “what’s the wrong way?” To which, of course, I responded, “have you ever run track?!”
I was dumbfounded. Completely, 100% dumbfounded. I wasn’t trying to come off bitchy or snippy. I’m sure I did given how irritated I was at that point. I was merely asking them to move over so we could do our track work without doing the awkward “which direction are you going to go” dance. But to have some guy shout back at me that there wasn’t a wrong way on the track was just baffling.
There absolutely is benefit to running clockwise on a track after running counter-clockwise for so many laps (or miles). I don’t dispute that at all. But even if you’re running in the opposite direction for a cool down, it’s common courtesy to utilize the outside lanes if you’re not running with traffic.
When we passed them again, they had taken heed to my request and thankfully moved out to the outside lanes. I tried to say thank you as we passed but know what he said first? He said, “I didn’t want to get in the way of the walkers.” So I politely thanked him for moving out of the way of the runners, and we proceeded with our speed workout. We had to run past them for a couple more miles before they left for the day. It gave me fuel for the fire, I guess. I did end up having a great workout this morning…
That’s the background on today’s post. That was lengthy, I know. But you had to know what happened in order for my suggestions to make sense. As such, here are a few suggestions Noemi and I came up with to ensure everyone has a smart, efficient, and pleasant track workout — runners, walkers, and skippers alike:
10 Tips for an Enjoyable Track Experience
1. If you’re new to the track, observe the direction of traffic before starting your workout.
2. If you’re fast, stick to the inside lanes. If you’re a slower runner — perhaps a run/walker or just a walker — stick to the outer lanes.
3. Stay in your lane. I’ve seen this one happen so many times. Maybe some people don’t mind getting close and snuggly with their running partners, but I need some room! I don’t want to have to worry about elbowing my friend in the gut while we’re running — or worry about someone getting a whiff of me as I run past (ick!).
4. If a fellow runner requests you follow the rules of the road, don’t get snippy. Use common courtesy and realize there’s probably a reason for said request.
5. If you’re running three abreast, you may want to consider using the outside inside lanes.
6. When you’re working out in a group, please utilize the field or the very outside edge of the track. If there’s an exercise area available, use that.
7. Keep all debris off the track. Water bottles, gel packets, keys, cell phones, ponytail elastics — I’ve seen it all and then some!
8. When cooling down or doing a workout that involves running in the opposite direction of main track traffic, use the outside lanes.
9. If you’re doing drills, use the outside lanes (or the field or exercise area, if available). When I have my athletes doing drills, I make sure the track is empty. If it’s not empty, we use the very outside lanes to get our workouts in. Worst case scenario, if I have a lot of people together and the track is busy, I would move us to the parking lot.
10. Above all else, use common courtesy. If you’ve just finished a hard 800m workout and decide to cool down clockwise, think to yourself, “would I want to shuffle around the track to avoid other runners if I were running hard for 800m?” If the answer is no, get out of the way.
Like I said, those are merely suggestions. Thankfully the situation that got me thinking long and hard about track etiquette is few and far between. I’ve run with very courteous runners and have had nothing but pleasant experiences. I should mention that there is one very courteous runner that runs at one of my local tracks. She’s very fast and has wonderful form. She makes running look completely effortless. After she finishes her speed work, she slows down, shakes her arms out, and then moves to the very last lane and runs clockwise for her cool down. She’s the kind of runner I aspire to be — fast, athletic, and very considerate.
The next time you go to the track, please keep at least a handful of my suggestions in mind. Everyone is entitled to an enjoyable track experience.
And in the spirit of keeping things light and comical, plus a reminder that it will soon be too cold and snowy for track days at all, I leave you with this gem:
Happy Thursday!
xo
Do you have anything to add to this list? Shout it out!
