New club off to fast start
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After giving it a try, avid runner James Zahn agrees it?s a good idea.
?The club is great,? said Zahn. ?It allows runners a safe place to run, which is away from traffic.?
Zahn was one of the runners who wanted access to the middle school track after it was closed to the public.
?It?s a marked track so it?s easy for timed runs,? said Zahn. ?During the summer, it?s going to be great.?
Blocked times for use of the track isn?t such a bad deal for runners.
?Most people work during the day,? said Zahn, ?so evenings is when most people run anyway. It?s lighted for running in the evening.?
The running and walking club came about after the Nunley Stadium track was closed to the public. In an effort to allow the public access, Parks and Recreation has designed a club that would keep track of who has access to the track and when.
Participants must sign up at McMinnville Civic Center and agree to follow all track rules. Once that is done, members only have to pick up a key and return it after use of the track.
?If they are avid runners or walkers,? said Parks and Recreation director Carlene Brown, ?it?s not an inconvenience. If all you want is a leisurely walk, the walking trail behind the Civic Center and the Barren Fork Greenway trail is available. Avid runners and walkers, who want to time distance, they need a marked track.?
Currently, the sign-up fee is very reasonable at $5 per person.
?That?s for those who sign up right now,? said Brown. ?With tournaments coming in and new things added later, that charge might go up.?
For those who sign up now, the $5 fee is for a lifetime membership. Participants in the club are allowed to take family members and friends into the track at no extra charge.
Zahn, for one, is grateful to Brown and Justin Scott for helping open the track.
For more information about the Warren County Running and Walking Club, call McMinnville Civic Center at 473-1212.