East Park: Runner’s Safety on the Schuylkill River Trail

George Morse on the Schuylkill Running Trail by Lloyd Hall.

George R. Morse is a Vice Captain of the Philadelphian chapter of Black Men Run (BMR). BMR was founded in Atlanta in 2013, by Jason Russell and Edward Walton, with the aim to create a “Healthy Brotherhood” for African American men by promoting a culture of running or jogging to stay fit. Morse joined the Philly chapter of BMR in 2015, at the encouragement of his high school classmate and mentor. Before joining BMR, Morse had never seen a group like them; pushing and supporting one another to lose weight as well as defy the health disparities that Black men face in the US. After one run, he was hooked by the camaraderie and fellowship he experienced.

BMR meets twice a week – Wednesday evenings at Lloyd Hall, and Saturday mornings at Mander Playground. On the Wednesday evening runs they utilize the Schuylkill Running Trail (SRT); the last section of the 120-mile Schuylkill River Trail, stretching from north of Manayunk down to Bartram’s Garden.  Safety while running in any area is important – but BMR takes it to another level. The second pillar of their mission is “No Man Left Behind”. I sat down with Mr. Morse to discuss physical and mental safety when running on the SRT.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

BMR has a few slogans that define the running club, one of which is No Man Left Behind. Could you explain how that slogan – if it does at all – translates to safety on your runs?

Yes, that mindset and that slogan means so much to us. Because when I came in, that was on the back of the shirts that we purchased to run was our No Man Left Behind slogan. It means so much because when I came out, they really made sure that none of us was left behind. And I mean, like, guys would pair up with guys that they can, like, had similar paces and things like that, but they would always stop the regroup along the route and make sure that no one was left behind. And we still hold true to that slogan, No Man Left Behind. No man or woman that comes out, or child that comes out to join us on a group run will be left behind, and we make sure of that.

How has the comfortability or overall feeling of safety changed on the SRT since you began running here?

We see along the path the Kelly Drive SRT, on the Schuylkill Running Trail, people do running groups more now. It’s more a safe space for people. A lot of running groups have been popping up across Philadelphia and the Philadelphia region. I know we’re going to be coming up on daylight saving time soon. So, in the fall, it’s going to get darker quicker. When it gets darker quicker, we try to make sure, like we alert our runners. In a running community, you’ll see more people coming out with like reflective vests, more well-lit clothing, more brighter clothes, just to keep your, you know, your visibility open on that path. If you got a headlight, it’s good to wear like a headlight with a that’ll keep the trail lit for you, because sometimes along the path, you’ll see that all the light poles may not be functioning properly.

The Schuylkill Running Trail in between Boathouse Row and Girard Ave. Bridge.

Do you think that the City has a responsibility to maintain the SRT, and to what degree?

Yes because, this Kelly Drive, Schuylkill Running Trail is used a lot for races – for cycling – also for people who do sports. We got the regatta that takes place along this path. So, it should be tended to, and it should be maintained and checked on periodically throughout the month to make sure it’s operating properly for everyone who uses the path. Whether it’s a walker, jogger, or parents coming out, pushing their kids in a stroller, they [the City] should make sure that all the lightning is functioning properly for the runners and all the pedestrians.

Have you or anybody in the organization, ever had any experiences on the trail where you were concerned about safety?

On the SRT anybody with me? I don’t think so. Probably when it gets a little crowded, you have to be very vigilant on the trail, because you’ll have cyclists, and they might be moving at a different speed or pace than a jogger or a runner might. So, you got to be able to be mindful, share the trail with others – whatever people using the trail. Before you move out of the way of someone passing by, [if] you[‘re] going in the same direction, make sure you’re monitoring what’s in front of you. You don’t want to step off to the side, then let them go by, and you step onto like a camel hump, like a lifted-up piece of cement or some type of tree branch or a rock, and then you lose your footing, and an accident could happen. So other than that, I haven’t heard anybody from Black Men Run getting in any safety issues.*

*After our sit-down interview, Mr. Morse reached out to me to clarify this statement. The following is his statement which I received via text.

Between Girard Ave Bridge & Strawberry Mansions Bridge, there are 3 parking lots. Lot #1 is the smallest right under Girard Ave Bridge. Lot #2 is at the John B Kelly Statue right after the bleachers. Lot #3 is at Temple and St. Joe’s Row House right before the Strawberry Mansion Bridge. Unfortunately, a few years ago two of my fellow runners had their vehicles broken into while we went on a group run.

The rest of the interview was conducted in person. *

The Schuylkill Running Trail underneath the Girard Ave. Bridge

How does BMR – if all at all – address the mental weight of running on the SRT after incidents have been reported here?

We hear about things where things have happened outside of when we’re out here running, and we’ll see the news story pop up and we’ll share it in the group. Like, “Hey, did you hear about this happening along that’s our SRT”. A car went into the water. Somebody may have jumped into the water, or just there was an act of violence along the trail, or not too far from the trail. And it makes us think, like, you know, “Hey, let’s stick together out there”. If you’re running by yourself, let somebody know you’re running. You can share your location with a family member or friend, just to let them know, “Hey, I’m on a run”. And if you have any type of device, like a GPS watch, you can add some emergency contacts just in case of an emergency, where, if you stay in a location too long and you’re supposed to be on a run, they can give you a call to check on you or go to the location where that last signal went off.

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