Rocks & Roots Trail Racing Series

[RLM]

I used to run and was a part of MIT/Premier Sports. They are a great group. What little bit of running I still do, I prefer to run in a wooded area like Sharon Woods or the unpaved trails at Highbanks Park. I understand wanting to run trails and using them to mix up your running regiment.

With that said, I'm not at all pleased about the Rocks & Roots Trail Racing Series at Alum Creek. This is going to draw more and more runners to a trail that was designated for and built by mountain bikers. We have very limited trails where we can ride our mountain bikes the way they were intended to be ridden.

I would suggest that Premier Sports partner with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to establish a trail designated for and built by runners. After they have spent 15-20 years planning, organizing, building, improving and maintaining their trail then maybe we could have a mountain bike race series on their trail. Of course we all know that would never happen nor would the mountain bike community want it to happen.

I'm not anti-runner nor do I care about a few runners here or there on the trails but it's getting to be too many and having a runner's race series on a designated mountain bike trail is ridiculous.

I'm also curious if one dime of the $45/$80 race fee goes to C.O.M.B.O. or if C.O.M.B.O. had any say about the race? I hope so but I suspect not.

Running at Alum Creek would be a blast but you know what is a lot more fun...mountain biking at Alum Creek. I would highly recommend to any runner who is interested in running there to seriously consider trying mountain biking. What a great way to cross train. With the limited trails for mountain bikers to ride, please leave those trails strictly for mountain bikers like Chestnut Ridge has wisely chosen to do.

http://www.fleetfeetcolumbus.com/rac...s-trail-series

[Gregg]

Ryan,

I have spoken to Fleet Feet and the park about the races. COMBO was not notified before the approval was given. COMBO does not get any of the registration money. I have made our concerns well know to both Fleet Feet and ODNR. For now, we share the trail. Much like horse trails are forbidden to us riders here in Alum due to safety concerns, we may get to the point where runners have to find/build their own trails.

Earphones remain my biggest gripe with runners, they simply can not hear you approach from behind, which is why they need to run counter to traffic. Hopefully this is a running fad that will fade.

[RLM]

I agree that the earphones are a major concern with runners. I would take it further though. I think earphones are dangerous for runners and riders, whether on the trail or on a shared paved path. This may not be a popular opinion but it’s just safer to be completely aware of your surroundings.

I personally get pumped enough with just the bike, the trail and my heart pounding out of my chest. If you absolutely need Metallica to get you pumped for your ride, then I would suggest using only one earphone and keeping the volume low enough to hear others coming up behind you. That’s just my opinion.

Should we now complain about dogs that don’t know proper trail etiquette? Surprisingly, I’ve come across several dogs that have better etiquette than some people.