By Mallory Sherwood, Managing Editor

By the end of November, the university will have a new addition to improve its appearance and the fitness of students, faculty and staff on campus, should they choose to use it. Construction has already begun on the new Walk/Jog trail that will wind two miles around campus, weaving in and out of the trees and include lighted paths, resting benches and places to meditate. The nine-foot, five-inch-deep trail made of concrete has brought excitement and concern to the campus.

Dr. Anthony Rector, director of the University Medical Clinic and a runner, said he thinks the jogging track is a great idea and he supports the idea because of its health benefits.

He said concrete is reasonable to run on although not ideal. He also said any type of material for a track would have its pros and cons.

“The pro of concrete is that it is durable, and once you put it down you are essentially done; the con is that it is harder on your legs,” Rector said. “If you don’t run on concrete on a daily basis or train as marathon runners do, then it won’t be a big deal.”

He said he will use the track and is glad it will be lighted for safety issues of both women and those who might injure themselves running.

“Anything that promotes physical activity is something I am a supporter of,” Rector said. “All in all, I think this jogging track will be a good measure.”

He said other resources for the track’s use would not hold up as well, nor be as cost efficient. Wood chips would cause erosion problems and would have to be replaced often and a state-of-the-art track like Elmer Gray’s stadium would be very expensive, he said.

Kevin Watson, associate vice president of administrative services and coordinator of the project and design, agreed.

Watson said he and his team decided to use concrete reached after more than a year of discussion and input from administration, members of the community and faculty and staff.

“We put down a sample trail with crushed granite and received only negative responses,” Watson said. “We put down a section of mulch, and it washed out during the first rain.”

He said the team looked at materials that would allow for more activities and that hard surfaces would allow for multiple uses.

“Asphalt and concrete allow for those that want to run with a stroller, roller blades, bicycling, etc.,” Watson said. “We are not designing this for the normal runner, not necessarily for the marathoner.”

He also said the university did not have the funding to put down a track surface like the one in Elmer Gray Stadium. Concrete will last the longest, allow the broadest use of activities and is the best decision after looking at all the concerns, he said.

Watson said workers are beginning construction of the trail at the entrance of the library parking lot and continuing north. He said the stakes were removed so portions of the trail could be relocated to soften some of the turns and improve the overall feel of the trail.

Others don’t like the idea of a concrete jogging path.

Jim Cooke, professor of environmental sciences, said he was surprised when he heard how much concrete would be used for the trail.

“If you asked people,” Cooke said, “I don’t think they would choose concrete to run on.”

He said he could think of other options to use such a recycled rubber or tires, which would make the impact softer as well as recycle forgotten items.

Cooke said he was excited about the idea of a Walk/Jog trail because it would be a great addition to the university, but he doesn’t think it will work well for runners.

Cooke said he would prefer if the track used a different material for environmental reasons too.

“I understand it is going to have trees and be landscaped around the campus,” he said. “I think it sounds great, except that they are going to pave right over the natural things with their path.”

Although Cooke would prefer another material for the track and a chance to offer input, he said it will still be useful to others.

“It’s going to be a good addition to the university,” Cooke said. “It will be part of the community, and all will be able to use it at some point.”