Runners’ Rules of the Road

We’ve all seen That Runner Guy. You know—the guy who is running in the dark, without reflective gear, on the wrong side of the road, tossing his energy bar wrapper on the ground as he jaywalks (jayruns?) to the other side of the street. Maybe some of us are That Runner Guy (or Girl). Maybe we are breaking the law without even realizing it.

What Laws Are Runners Required to Follow?*

•  You must use the sidewalk. Runners are required to use sidewalks when they are available and may only use the shoulder of the road if there is no sidewalk. The obvious problem this creates for runners is two-fold: 1) running on an uneven sidewalk sucks and is a recipe for injury in the form of tripping over uneven concrete and falling; 2) running on concrete is much harder on the joints than running on asphalt.
• You must obey traffic signals. Pedestrians are required to obey traffic signals and traffic control devices (i.e. come to a complete stop at a stop light and wait for it to turn green). Although the out-of-shape runner may welcome the opportunity for a 30 second rest stop, most runners do it because they want the aerobic benefit that it provides and stopping for every light isn’t going to help them shed those unwanted pounds.
• No jaywalking. Historically, both pedestrians and motor vehicles had an equal right to the road and both were to take due care to yield to the other. However, as motorized travel became more common place, the pedestrian was required to yield to the bigger/more dangerous motor vehicle. Now, many local ordinances prohibit pedestrians from crossing the road in areas outside of marked crosswalks. Common sense tells us that the pedestrian needs to yield to the 2 ton SUV.
• No public urination. Most cities have laws prohibiting public urination, typically classifying it as an ordinance violation or a misdemeanor. Many a runner has been known to ignore this rule, ducking behind a tree during a 20-mile training run.
• No trespassing. Individual owners of private property have the right to keep others off of their property. Indeed, many schools keep their tracks gated and locked, presumably to prevent vandals from their facility. But when a runner needs a track for 400 meter repeats, he needs a track—padlock or not.
• No littering. Laws everywhere prohibit throwing paper, garbage, and other items on the ground. There is no exception for Gu and energy bar wrappers!
• No indecent exposure. Running gets a person sweaty and makes them want to shed unwanted layers in an effort to keep cool.  But still, there are laws prohibiting the public exposure of things that should not be exposed to the public eye. Enough said.

I’m an avid runner. Do I break any of these Runners’ Rules of the Road? I’m taking the fifth; how about you?

*Specific laws vary state-by-state, but in most states are similar to those laws listed here.