The SUNY New Paltz athletic department is trying to downsize the track or REMOVE it completely, in order to make the inside field larger! This would not only be destructive and gutting to the New Paltz Campus, but a huge loss to the larger new paltz area, running communities and current and prospective students alike. In addition, the New Paltz cross country team would lose their most crucial resource.

The most important part of having a track is having the inside lane. Cutting out the center lanes of a track defeats the purpose of having a track, and would make training or simply running on it WAY more confusing!!!! Squeezing all track users to the outside lanes would make the size of the track unconventional for ANYONES use! It is uncertain weather we will even be able to save the last four lanes 5, 6, 7 and 8 which are 430.7, 438.3, 446.0 and 453.7 meters, respectively!!! The track is an asset to the community and downsizing it would cause many students, athletes and all people who enjoy the track to have to utilize the high school track or other tracks in the area in order to run a mile.

 The SUNY New Paltz athletic department has been chipping away at new paltz’s running programs since 2003-4 when the athletic department cut track and field out of the budget. The department now appears on route to do the the same with Cross country. Running and Cross country is one of the worlds most accessible sports with low costs allowing anyone to participate. New Paltz should consider the track to be a valuable asset and protect it at all cost since it nurtures a large community of people in the area and all SUNY New Paltz students. 

The bright blue New Paltz Track that features a beautiful view of the Shawangunks and Mohonk tower, is an asset to New Paltz. Removing it would be devastating. 

A project to remove or downsize the track in order to accommodate a slightly larger field would be a HUGE waste of SUNY New Paltz’s student’s tuition. There are many empty fields on the New Paltz campus that the Athletic Department could develop WITHOUT destroying the track in the process.

Please help save our beloved track for the SUNY New Paltz students, the new paltz community, and all track users!!! Sign this petition and send it to everyone you know! Please email the New Paltz President at president@newpaltz.edu or call the university and ask for them to SAVE THE TRACK! Do not let them take our track away! 

Thank you all so much.