The running community in Madison, Wis., is urging the University of Wisconsin to reconsider plans for the track portion of a new indoor practice facility on campus.
According to WPR, the new $285 million facility, which will replace the former Camp Randall Memorial Sports Facility, will feature a much smaller indoor track than the previous facility.
Track athletes at the UW, as well as those involved in the Madison running community, are comparing the track to one found at a health club instead of one at a Big 10 university.
“The proposed facilities will fail to sustain Wisconsin Track and Field’s winning tradition and jeopardize progress for women athletes made under Title IX,” wrote Maggie Munson, a senior at UW-Madison who started an online petition to “save Wisconsin track and field.”
The new football practice facility will replace the McClaine Center, which is the oldest practice facility in the Big 10.
According to WPR, when the project was announced, UW Athletics spokesperson Patrick Herb said student-athletes from all 23 sports would have access.
While Badger Football gets all of the attention, and is the chief money maker for UW Athletics, UW-Madison’s cross country and track and field programs also have a history of excellence with a combined 140 B1G Ten team titles, 88 individual NCAA titles, and 30 Olympians.
“These programs are the winningest at Wisconsin, and they develop a diverse community of student-athletes into hard-working leaders and change-makers,” Munson wrote.
For decades, runners in the Madison community have had access to the Camp Randall Memorial Sports Facility.
Paul Miller is one of the organizers of Movin’ Shoes Running Club, which is supported by the Movin’ Shoes store and has over 400 members. He says the university has an obligation to ensure that the facility supports the community, as well as its student-athletes.
“UW-Madison is a land grant university with an obligation to be part of the community,” Miller said. “Yes, we’re not saving lives with this track, but it’s about a healthy lifestyle and being part of the community. UW- Platteville, UW-Whitewater, they have indoor facilities that they open up to their communities. So this is a true frustration.”
