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Denver Track?

vikingmd

Jan 25, 11 21:38

Post #1 of 24 (3045 views)

Denver Track?	Quote \| Reply

It seems that Denver public schools have redone many of their athletic facilities including their track. However, now they are fenced off and not open to the public as far as I can tell. Does anyone know of any tracks that are available? I used to do my workouts at South High School. I don't want to drive to Greenwood Village.

jtriathlete

Jan 26, 11 4:35

Post #2 of 24 (3019 views)

Re: Denver Track? [vikingmd] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

I don't know how far it is to drive to Cherry creek. OR Ride to Cherry creek. (dayton and Cherry creek Dam)
I used to live in that area too, sorry to hear about the fence.
I would maybe Google map, from above, Tracks are generally easy to pick out and then seek them out to see if they are public.

vikingmd

Jan 26, 11 6:42

Post #3 of 24 (3000 views)

Re: Denver Track? [jtriathlete] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

Yeah I could drive to Cherry Creek but 20-25 minutes each way is nothing to dismiss easily. Right now I just do speed on the road using my Gramin.

jtriathlete

Jan 26, 11 6:54

Post #4 of 24 (2994 views)

Re: Denver Track? [vikingmd] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

High line Canal, Flat, fun, rideable, scenic.
I found one at E ILLiff and between Emerson and Logan
(google maps are cool)

morno

Jan 26, 11 9:05

Post #5 of 24 (2983 views)

Re: Denver Track? [vikingmd] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

The track at South High is still available. Go around to the east side; the hours, and rules, are - at least they were within the last couple of months - posted.

Please follow the rules and encourage others to do so as well. It was obvious they weren't being observed.

justinl

Jan 26, 11 9:49

Post #6 of 24 (2972 views)

Re: Denver Track? [vikingmd] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

The dirt track on Iliff is Harvard Gulch. No fences and a little ghetto with 5 lanes full of weeds but otherwise fine. The typical site of Beer Miles.

DPS allegedly has tracks open again when there is a janitor available to open/close the place. I have heard that GW and South tracks are both honoring this. I've heard different different things about Manual HS. I've never seen the East HS track open but have not physically checked the gates either.

There is a cinder track in Lowry at Lowry Blvd and Alton that is not fenced.

People have painted marks along the Cherry Creek path east of Colorado. I think they start at the Cherry Creek Athletic Club.

Heritage High School is getting farther away but has an unfenced rubber track that is awesome.

Also in the 'burbs is Belleview Elementary School where the Phidippides practice, at Belleview and Dayton. I think this is what someone else already referred to.

There are more tracks the further out you get but you sound like you're pretty centrally located.

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vikingmd

Jan 26, 11 13:23

Post #7 of 24 (2950 views)

Re: Denver Track? [justinl] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

Wow. Thanks for the all the replies. A great example of the utility of the Slowtwitch community. I'll have to check out South again. Last time I looked it was closed. I knew about Heritage and CC/Belleview but am located up near Cranmer park.

I have heard someone mention in passing that there was a track at the new Infinity park in Glendale, but can't refute or confirm. It doesn't obviously show up on google maps satellite imagery.

justinl

Jan 26, 11 14:51

Post #8 of 24 (2937 views)

Re: Denver Track? [vikingmd] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

I work across the street from Infinity Park and there is no track. There is a sidewalk in the shape of infinity that might be a standard distance but I've never checked. There is a park nearby, Mir Park, that has a sidewalk around it that is just a hair over 0.25 miles (http://www.usatf.org/.../view.asp?rID=314508). There is also a 0.50 mile loop in Garland Park (http://www.usatf.org/.../view.asp?rID=125597). Neither are very inspiring.

Hope that helps.

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TBrooksCowan

Jan 26, 11 15:07

Post #9 of 24 (2928 views)

Re: Denver Track? [vikingmd] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

You can usually slide between the gate at Denver East, they use a pretty big chain. If Denver South is closed you can ninja run up the storage unit - 2 steps, a pull up, and then just hang drop down

shaka999

Jan 26, 11 15:09

Post #10 of 24 (2927 views)

Re: Denver Track? [vikingmd] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

Have you called the school board and asked if you can get a key?

I know up here in Fort Collins the tracks are fenced but for a small deposit you can get a key so you can use the track when school isn't in session.

vikingmd

Feb 19, 11 7:24

Post #11 of 24 (2851 views)

Re: Denver Track? [morno] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

The track at south is open and it is really nice. Thanks for pointing out that you have to walk around the side to get in the gate. It has a great rubberized surface now with clearly marked lanes and AstroTurf field.

vikingmd

Feb 28, 11 9:33

Post #12 of 24 (2780 views)

Re: Denver Track? [vikingmd] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

I spoke too soon. The next time that I showed it was locked up tight with no access. I emailed the school district but I am not optimistic.

This is what I said in my email.

"It appears that many of the practice tracks have been redone and they look wonderful; however, there is no longer public access. I used to run on the track at South High School as did many of the public, but it now has a 15 foot fence around it and the gates are locked. While I appreciate that the school district wants to keep the facilities in excellent condition, is there a way to at least allow access during certain times to the general public? After all the citizen's surrounding the schools paid for the renovations with their tax dollars."

Cdunn

Mar 31, 12 7:20

Post #13 of 24 (1324 views)

Re: Denver Track? [vikingmd] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

I am new to living in wash park and looking for a track. This thread from last year seems to be addressing my frustration with having not one, but two, perfect tracks down the street from my house at South that seem perpetually locked. I have seen the phone numbers I can call on the signs, but wanted to see if anyone has more recent thoughts/experiences with this issue before I begin calling. Thanks

Chris Athey

Mar 31, 12 10:07

Post #14 of 24 (1299 views)

Re: Denver Track? [Cdunn] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

Everything LPS has open tracks. They're all new and well cared for. Always open. It might be a 20 min drive.

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Bevminster

May 8, 13 9:51

Post #15 of 24 (309 views)

Re: Denver Track? [Cdunn] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

Cd un, did you ever work out how to get a key for South High school track access? Interested if you did as I am also trying to work out how to access a central Denver track for workouts. Tanks for your feedback.

Elsa

May 8, 13 9:53

Post #16 of 24 (305 views)

Re: Denver Track? [Chris Athey] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

Chris Athey wrote:

Everything LPS has open tracks. They're all new and well cared for. Always open. It might be a 20 min drive.

What's LPS? Lakewood??

Thanks!

Chris Athey

May 8, 13 9:54

Post #17 of 24 (303 views)

Re: Denver Track? [Elsa] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

Littleton public schools.

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vikingmd

May 8, 13 12:32

Post #18 of 24 (274 views)

Re: Denver Track? [Bevminster] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

Bevminster wrote:

Agreed. Anybody been able to get access? It is the time of year to start putting the pointy edge on the run.

MarkyV

May 8, 13 18:09

Post #19 of 24 (219 views)

Re: Denver Track? [vikingmd] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

My girlfriend runs at east from time to time and has never had a problem going in. They go quite early in the morning tho.
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jhby1

May 9, 13 10:15

Post #20 of 24 (171 views)

Re: Denver Track? [MarkyV] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

It is really hit or miss at South. If the "practice" track is locked, I've never had any issues with the maintenance guys letting me run on the stadium track however. I'd say it's 50/50 on whether the practice track is open or not. There's a big gate at the South East corner of the track which on occasion is open when gates at the other entrances are not, so it definitely pays to try multiple gates before just giving up. Again, the maintenance guys are pretty cool about me using the stadium track but I do of course ask very them very nicely. I have tried getting a key by calling the phone number that is posted but have never had any luck actually speaking to someone, my messages are never returned. I'll have to try East sometime, it just sucks when South is about 5 blocks from my house and is hardly ever open to the public.

InWyo

May 9, 13 12:38

Post #21 of 24 (147 views)

Re: Denver Track? [vikingmd] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

I would check out this site first:

http://www.usatf.org/routes/

You can search for tracks there. Also, if you are a tax payer, you technically own that facility, so unless there are other public tracks that are not owned by the school district, you have the right to use it. I often run to the high school here and use their wood-working equipment because I don't have a planer or a spindle sander. All it took was a call to the shop teacher, and a visitor badge (along with a safety class from the shop teacher). They can limit the hours you can be there, but it is a public facility, so call your local school district and ask about the hours it's open to the public.

justinl

May 9, 13 13:10

Post #22 of 24 (135 views)

Re: Denver Track? [InWyo] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

I imagine a more useful USATF resource (if it were only populated) would be http://www.usatf.org/tracks/map/ . There is also TFAA's database of "friendly tracks" at http://trackandfieldathletesassociation.org/friendlytracks.php. Both suffer from lack of locations.

It would probably be easier to piggyback on a group that already had DPS track access then to get it yourself. Denver Track Club comes to mind and there are others as well. Access to the track at South has been more difficult than other tracks for sure. East and Manual have been a lot more welcoming. Being a taxpayer does not guarantee access one to the facilities, either, and vigorously taking that approach will damage the relationship that other groups have worked to forge with the district to allow access. It is more complicated than that. For example, non-background checked adults are not allowed to use the track when there are students using it, even if they are just using the infield. Also, the schools need to protect the facilities from malicious damage. Generally if there is a janitor on duty a track will be open. Of course, that is also when the kids are most likely to be there.

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| My blog: Triathlon and training blog |

(This post was edited by justinl on May 9, 13 13:14)

InWyo

May 9, 13 13:17

Post #23 of 24 (127 views)

Re: Denver Track? [justinl] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

You are right about the lack of facilities in these databases, but if people know they are out there, hopefully they will take the 45 seconds to get their local track in the database. I travel a lot for work, and these databases have led me to some epic runs (AmericasRunningRoutes), and some gems of some tracks as well. I ran on one track in California that had an incredible ocean-side view, and another old cinder track in Louisiana that was like the Nike Campus track with trees in the infield and all around it. If you know of a track, enter it.

TriKen

May 9, 13 14:53

Post #24 of 24 (109 views)

Re: Denver Track? [vikingmd] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

Try the track near Bellview Elementary School at 4881 S. Dayton.
Better yet, run there with the Phidippides Track Club on Tuesdays, 5:40.
All abilities are welcome, and we run as different levels.

http://www.phidippides.org/

Regards
Ken