Will High Schools let you use there track ovals? (Woodbridge: neighborhood, construction)

[Megadell]

I'm tired of running in noisy sidewalks that jump sides every block and sometimes just disappear for a quarter of a mile, breathing in all those exhaust fumes.

Woodbridge hs isn't too far away, wouldn't mind going there if it meant I could run on the track field and not the inconsistent sidewalk.

But is that allowed? Maybe I should email them. Especially with them getting out of class soon it shouldn't be a problem though.

[car54]

It's okay to use the tracks in Fairfax County...

(Sports fields are a different story. You need a permit)

[Megadell]

You mean like, a baseball field right? There's a baseball field around here that is always blocked off, but that's fine.

[Yankeesfan]

Yes, lots of people use the Fairfax County school tracks outside of school hours when students aren't using them. Not sure of the rules in PW, though. You could just go over and see if non-students are using it.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by car54

(Sports fields are a different story. You need a permit)

Not necessarily. Only if you're part of a group over a certain number. If nobody with a permit is using one, it's open for use.

[HereinVA]

Don't know how far you're willing to travel, but if you're fairly close to Woodbridge, are you a reasonable distance to route 234? There is that long bike path that runs several miles along 234--I've always wanted to try running it!
Also there is the 3 miles (in each direction) bike route in Prince William Forest, plus many more miles of wooded trails if you're into trail running. Love running there! It's been several months since I've been out there and I think they are doing some construction on the road right now...maybe call before you make the drive out. There is an entrance fee to get in, but if you have a National Parks pass it's free.

[car54]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

Not necessarily. Only if you're part of a group over a certain number. If nobody with a permit is using one, it's open for use.

I dunno, man...I drive a school bus and I'm at various high schools several times a day and I see the signs posted. These signs even threaten arrest for unauthorized use.

The booster clubs spend tons of money maintaining those natural fields....to avoid damaging them, varsity games are cancelled frequently if the ground is too wet. And the artificial turf fields cost near $1m and have strict rules for their use. The are NOT going to allow the situations that occur on Park Authority fields to happen at high school stadiums.


edit: maybe you're talking about the neighborhood elementary school's field of weeds? Yeah, they probably are much more lax about them...

[HereinVA]

After reading some of the other posts, I was curious---do you mean a "field" or a "track"? It's been a while since I was in high school , but I remember back then, at most schools, the football field had a oval shaped dirt track around it, measuring 1/4 mile.
I was in marching band and I remember while we practiced on the field at night after school, some local adults (with no connection to the school, just local residents) would use the track for running---safe, well lit, since it was 1/4 mile you knew how far you were going, etc.

Do high schools around here do the same? Is that what the OP was talking about? Not grass fields that potentially could be damaged?

[NOVA_almost_native]

I don't know about all of the area high schools, but the two I'm familiar with, Oakton and Herndon, both have quarter-mile tracks encircling their football fields. When I lived near Herndon High School, I went to the track to walk several times. There were always a few other people, usually adults, there at the time.

[ersatz]

Some of the middle schools have tracks as well. I haven't seen any postings warning to keep off.