Tallahassee, however, is not New York City. Florida's capital city doesn't have a municipal track, although it has had municipal stadiums--formerly Centennial Field and currently Capital Stadium. But if you're looking for a track, you need to go to either Florida A & M University or Florida State University (but not Tallahassee Community College or Keiser University). You could also visit one of the high schools in town with tracks: Leon High School, Godby High School, Rickards High School, Lincoln High School, Chiles High School, Maclay School, North Florida Christian School, or Florida State University School (but not Florida A & M University School or Pope John Paul II Catholic High School). And that's it, unless you are incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institute on US 319.
Or so I thought. Looking for something on the south side of town using Google maps, I spotted a track behind Fairview Middle School. Of course I had to visit.
The Fairview track looks much better in satellite photos than it does in person. Either way, it is a plain, red-clay oval, but when the pictures were taken from orbit it showed up very cleanly. Viewing from a bit more closely, though, you can see that weeds are peeking up through the track. There is no curb, which perhaps explains why the north turn looks a little bit out of round. Any records run on this track wouldn't be accepted by the governing body of athletics--not that anyone could run records on a clay track, especially after a hard rain.
Still, at least as late as the 1950s, a lot of track meets in the United Kingdom were run on ovals not much different from this one--tracks laid out temporarily on cricket pitches. And think of all the early season National Football League games, where you can still see the baseball diamond laid out on the playing field. If nothing else it would be a great track for workouts (as long as it hadn't rained). Situated on the Fairview playing fields and adjacent to the Rickards High School baseball/softball complex, the track would make a great place to start and finish middle school cross-country races. Check out the hill between the track and the ballfields if you don't believe me.
And Fairview won the 2010 Leon County boys' track and field title. Coincidence?
Meanwhile it's a wonderful oddity. The only Leon County middle school with a track, and the only natural-surface track in Tallahassee.
Links:
- The track at Yankee Stadium on Google maps
http://maps.google.com/maps?source=s_q&q=40.829093,-73.926117&z=17 - The track at Fairview Middle School on Google maps
http://maps.google.com/maps?source=s_d&saddr=30.399067,-84.26518&mrsp=0&sll=30.39916,-84.26518&z=17 - Fairview Middle School
http://www.fairview.leon.k12.fl.us/
Nicely written, Herb. Even though we had already talked about this little gem, it was fun to read the story! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletejudy
i guess we'll have to keep looking for a proper venue for the Beer Mile.
ReplyDeleteAll those many years running all over Tally and I never once ran out that way or road my bike out Tram road, there must have been a reason. Anyway, Fairview has the same mascot as my HS and a natural track too. My HS track was made from crushed oyster shell. I ran a 9:18 2 mile by myself at the half time of the spring football game on that track in '69. Dick Roberts was trying to raise money to send the team to the state meet and passed the hat.
ReplyDeleteMy 1st 3 years at FSU the track was something-clay?
Very interesting, Herb! And I didn't know about the track at Yankee Stadium either. Reading your blog is always good for learning a new factoid or two!
ReplyDeleteWhile it is not in Tallahassee just up HWY 27 in Havana is the Havana Middle school track. For the NW side residents it could be an option. The track is asphalt and not in the best condition although it does have all of the markings visible. While it could have been an optical illusion it seemed to be downhill on the frontside and uphill on the backside. Let me know if you feel like it is out of level too.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Andy! I'll have to check it out next time I am up that way. That's different from the old Havana Northside High School Track, which might also be worth taking a look at.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be surprised if the Havana Middle track was actually uphill and downhill, because the Leon High Track definitely is. I never noticed the slope while running on the Leon track, but when the athletic fields flooded in 1977, I noticed that the south turn was about five feet underwater, while the north turn was high and dry. It didn't matter to us distance runners, but it meant that they had been running the 100-yard dash downhill since the 1930s.
Herb.