Top 10 Reasons Why Runners don't like Sidewalks (or Why You find Runners in the Street—on Asphalt)

Hey! Why do runners run in the street?! Don't they know that's what sidewalks are for? Well, here are some obstacles runners face. Some of these are very common on every run. Some are rare, but deadly when encountered. Runners love meeting people and 95% of the time such brief encounters are fun, affirming, adventurous!  Especially when running in exotic places! (meaning not your neighborhood. I love the fact that I have been privileged to run on trails, dirt roads, paths and pavements in over 20 countries and 40 states--this list reflects that. So, there are those who can be quite obnoxious to a runner who is just wanting to keep moving. I hope somebody reads this and can turn it into a “funny” “humorous” list, because that is really the intent. It is not meant to be offensive or accusatory.  I’m just not that funny. Here we go:

10.  We like our knees! Running on asphalt is easier on the knees. Concrete sidewalks are extremely hard surfaces.

9.   We hate tripping! Sidewalks are split into panels that quickly become uneven. Tripping over these panels as you are trying to increase/steady your pace is a major cause of injury.

8.   We don’t like getting continually banged in the head! Low hanging branches that aren’t trimmed turns a sprint into a duck walk for a runner.

7.   We need a hard hat! Construction projects, internet/cable lines, open manholes, cracked/broken water pipes, plugged sewer lines, work on power lines, all create obstacle courses that are impossible to navigate without getting into the street.

6.   We love our neighbors but … Garbage cans, trash cans, recycling bins, toys, bicycles, scooters, cars and trucks are all too common in blocking safe access to sidewalks. In continually dodging them, runners wind up sidestepping onto the street so often we might as well stay there.

5.   Some days we might as well be a mudder…Mud, grass clumps, wet moss, lawn mower grass clippings, sprinkler systems spurting more water into the street than on the lawn... all make for a slippery run.

4.   And then there is poop. Ever run Brush Creek off the Plaza? Seven miles of goose droppings. Closer to home, on any given day I can run down a neighborhood street and plant a foot in fresh doggy ….

3.   dogs. Dogs. DOGS. I love dogs. Generally, I can make friends with most any creature. BUT, there are those times... Yapping, snarling, growling. Chasing, snapping, biting. On a leash that reaches the sidewalk but not the street. Off a leash and lunging at your leg as if it is lunch. On a leash with a dog walker that thinks it’s “cute” to let them chase after you. On a leash with a dog-walker who thinks you are running to violate them and their pet is their protector.

2.   People. Walkers in pairs, threesomes, gaggles, who spread across the entire sidewalk and look at you as if you are invading their space. Children playing on the sidewalk… they’re so adorable… until they stick their foot out in your path to see if you will trip. Police. Soldiers…in riot gear. Security guards. Street vendors.

1.   There is NO sidewalk.