One of my favorite places to do workouts and strides and general fast stuff is the track at Withrow High School in Hyde Park.
No, it's not because of the newly renovated surface.
No, it's not because it's a perfect 10-minute warmup and cooldown jog from my house.
No, it's not because I'm a nerd and it has markings for both a 1600 and a mile.
No, it's not because the school building forms a perfect "L" around the homestretch and first turn, sheltering the field from any drastic wind.
No, it's not because I spent four years during college running workouts there. Actually, wait, that is part of it.
The reason I love Withrow's track so much can be summed up like this: it's a true public track.
If you've ever been to the track, then you know how packed it can get with people using it. And it's not just Withrow High School teams and random individuals -- the track is also regularly used by many other local high schools without a track, by D-1 college teams without a track (Xavier University), and by various training groups and running clubs throughout the Cincinnati area. And that's all in addition to Withrow high schoolers and random individuals.
So why is that a big deal?
Well, if you know anything about Withrow High School, then you know it's an urban public school. School types will tell you that it serves an "at-risk" population, but what they really mean is that its students and community are mostly poor and mostly black or brown.
And if you know anything about the surrounding neighborhood, Hyde Park, then you know it's an affluent neighborhood (read: wealthy and white).
Wealthy and white, poor and black; two worlds that don't often meet. You only have to look at the gentrification going on in Over-the-Rhine to see how that divide manifests itself.
But on the track at Withrow, none of that matters. People from all walks of life, of all racial and ethnic groups, all income levels; they all use the track together. They all share it.
The track isn't just a public track at a public school; it's a true public space, in line with Fountain Square and Washington Park in downtown Cincinnati. It's one of those rare places where diverse populations all can -- and do -- gather on a regular basis.
Sure, there are some headaches involved (for example, go anytime after school hours during the fall and you probably won't be able to use the track because there's a soccer game going on), but by and large it's a communal space that is shared by all members of the public. There aren't enough of those spaces in this city -- not to mention the country -- so you have to appreciate one in your own back yard.
No, it's not because of the newly renovated surface.
No, it's not because it's a perfect 10-minute warmup and cooldown jog from my house.
No, it's not because I'm a nerd and it has markings for both a 1600 and a mile.
No, it's not because the school building forms a perfect "L" around the homestretch and first turn, sheltering the field from any drastic wind.
No, it's not because I spent four years during college running workouts there. Actually, wait, that is part of it.
The reason I love Withrow's track so much can be summed up like this: it's a true public track.
If you've ever been to the track, then you know how packed it can get with people using it. And it's not just Withrow High School teams and random individuals -- the track is also regularly used by many other local high schools without a track, by D-1 college teams without a track (Xavier University), and by various training groups and running clubs throughout the Cincinnati area. And that's all in addition to Withrow high schoolers and random individuals.
So why is that a big deal?
Well, if you know anything about Withrow High School, then you know it's an urban public school. School types will tell you that it serves an "at-risk" population, but what they really mean is that its students and community are mostly poor and mostly black or brown.
And if you know anything about the surrounding neighborhood, Hyde Park, then you know it's an affluent neighborhood (read: wealthy and white).
Wealthy and white, poor and black; two worlds that don't often meet. You only have to look at the gentrification going on in Over-the-Rhine to see how that divide manifests itself.
But on the track at Withrow, none of that matters. People from all walks of life, of all racial and ethnic groups, all income levels; they all use the track together. They all share it.
The track isn't just a public track at a public school; it's a true public space, in line with Fountain Square and Washington Park in downtown Cincinnati. It's one of those rare places where diverse populations all can -- and do -- gather on a regular basis.
Sure, there are some headaches involved (for example, go anytime after school hours during the fall and you probably won't be able to use the track because there's a soccer game going on), but by and large it's a communal space that is shared by all members of the public. There aren't enough of those spaces in this city -- not to mention the country -- so you have to appreciate one in your own back yard.
hii
ReplyDelete