North London AC Track Etiquette Page

There appears to be very little written on this subject (none found on the web so far), so here is a contribution. The contents of this page are expected to evolve with time and any feedback will be gratefully received. Please email comments to Laurence Steinpress.

Athletics Tracks and the surrounding areas used for the field events are very dangerous places and it is necessary to have some rules to prevent accidents to spectators and enable athletes to train in safety.

1. Treat the whole area like you would a busy road. Never allow unsupervised children or pets to play near an athletics track.

2. Always look both ways before crossing a track (runners sometimes run in the reverse direction!).

3. Always warm-up/down and jog in the outside lanes.

   This is because many runners use a track to run many fast short, accurately-measured distances (known as interval training). When running the intervals, the athletes will be using the inside lanes.

4. It is usual for a runner to shout "TRACK!" to warn someone on a track who is apparently unaware of the approaching runner. Of course this should never happen as no one should be in the path of the runner in the first place.

   A problem can occur when a fast runner overtakes a slower one, in which case, assuming that the slower runner is running an interval and therefore has a right to be there, it is the responsibility of the faster runner to overtake safely.

5. The sandpits at the jumps are not children's play areas! It is vital that the sand is kept clean and free from foreign objects.

6. Pets should be kept under control (dogs on a lead) at all times and must not be allowed to foul the the playing surfaces.

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Page keeper Laurence Steinpress