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Placer High School Hosting Fun Run To Resurface Worn Track

AUBURN (CBS13) — With their season winding down, the Placer High School track team is just beginning a campaign to get a much-needed new track surface.

From afar, the red track at the school looks fine and the track and field team members don't look hindered.

But that surface is a runner's nightmare.

"The biggest complaint is the shin splints, which is the muscle tearing off the bones, arch problems, knees, all of that. And it's just repeated," said co-head track coach Katy Chamberlain.

She and Mark Chamberlain say they're doing all they can to keep their athletes healthy.

"We went through 50 rolls of athletic tape this year," Mark said.

Overuse injuries and accidents are inevitable on this old, worn out track.

"It is technically asphalt with a nice, red coloring over the top," Katy said.

"There have been a number of schools that used to come to our LeFebvre Invitational and they no longer come because they don't like our track at all," Mark said.

Senior sprinted Meghan Tucker says they actually try to stay off the track as much as possible.

"There's like little bumps on the track, so if you're running the curve, like top speed, sometimes you'll like catch your ankle on bumps," she said.

So parents and coaches are heading up an effort to resurface the track. Funding thought, is a huge hurdle. Costs are estimated around $250,000.

"Our district is very supportive. but there's just not enough money to do it right now," said athletic director Mark Lee.

They're organizing a 5K fun run on May 31 to raise money for the new track.

"We'd hope to have a lot of people come out to the fun run, and maybe some donors and maybe some big pockets come out of the woodwork," Lee said. "And maybe write a big check would be real nice too."

The fun run might not raise all the money needed for the project, but it will definitely be a start.

"I just think that it would be really cool to come back and see like that the community came together and got us something that looks a little nicer, feels a little nicer," Tucker said.

The team says all of the proceeds of the run and 100 percent of the donations will go to getting the track resurfaced.

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