Is It Okay To Use A School’s Track For Workouts?
You have a track workout on your training plan—is it okay to head to the track at a school in your neighborhood? An expert answers.
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Etiquette expert Lizzie Post, great-great-granddaughter of Emily Post, knows a thing or two about the rules of the road—and the descendant of the famous decorum diva is a runner too!
Q: I like to use the track at the local high school, but I’m not sure if it’s inappropriate when there are kids around? Sometimes there will be a soccer game in the field or the track team will be practicing when I run.
A: I suggest you check with the school to see if there are guidelines for public use of the track. If it’s okay to use the track, and there aren’t any specified times, then use your best judgment. If it seems like a team practice is going on, then I would steer clear. However, if it’s just a couple of kids also working out independently, you’re probably fine to go right ahead.
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For the soccer game situation, just make sure the track isn’t being utilized for spectators or that you’re not getting in the way of others watching the game. I think the important thing to keep in mind—which it sounds like you already do—is that the track is first and foremost there for the students to use, so their needs should always take priority.