Clothing and Spikes

For practices, runners should wear comfortable and modest shirts, shorts and sweats as needed. If any lycra product is worn, something must be worn over it. On cold days, wear several layers of clothing, and the layer closest to your skin should be a wicking material such as Coolmax or a similar fabric. Also bring a hat and gloves (painting gloves are very good for running, as regular gloves are generally too heavy/hot for running after a few minutes). IN THE FIRST FEW SATURDAY PRACTICES, EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THAT HATS AND GLOVES ARE ESSENTIAL! DON’T COME WITHOUT THEM!

Good quality running clothing at very reasonable prices can be found at www.nationalrunningcenter.com. They also carry some of the better running shoes. If you want to order their catalog instead of going on-line you can reach them at 1-800-541-1773.

For Meets: Runners can wear either their running shoes or spikes. I have a number of pairs of spikes that can be worn and returned at the end of the season. It is preferable, however, to purchase them.

If you would like to purchase a pair of spikes, the best place to buy them is www.firsttothefinsh.com, which has a huge selection of closeouts (see note below), or from the Eastbay Catalog, which always has closeout specials on spikes from $19.95 and up, or from. Spikes generally run small, and you should order up one-half size (that is, if the athlete wears size 9 running shoes, he/she should order size 9 ½ spikes). For Eastbay, you can call 1-800-826-2205 and ask for their track specialty catalog. Spikes can also be found at Venue Sports, www.venuesports.com or www.espikes.com, which feature a number of closeouts but not nearly as many as Eastbay. Please note that spikes are made for specific events, and if you go to purchase them, make sure you get the type of spikes for the events you will be participating in. Generally, shoe companies make sprint spikes for events from 100 to 400 meter dashes; middle distance spikes for 800 to 1600 meter runs, and long distance spikes for the 1600 to 3200 meter runs.

AN IMPORTANT WORD ABOUT SPIKES: Most of the major companies make two lines of spikes; one costing around $50-60 and one costing anywhere from $80 to $100. Recently, some companies have added a third category between these two. The companies change colors every year. THEY DO NOT MAKE MANY IMPORTANT CHANGES IN THE FEATURES OF THE SHOES, HOWEVER. Usually, you can get last year’s colors at half price, or significantly less. Doing so would be a good stewardship.

We have uniforms for the track team for meets. These consist of singlets (sleeveless shirts) for the boys and short sleeve shirts for the girls. Shorts are also provided. Please note that boys are not to wear t-shirts under the singlets. High School regulations require that all athletes wear identical uniforms. If you have any questions, please speak with me at your convenience.

We have school provided warm-ups which are to be worn for meets only.