Running safety tips to remember Published March 18, 2011 By Wayne Crenshaw 78th ABW/PA ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- The many health benefits of running tend to be negated if the runner is hit by a car. Many Team Robins members lately are taking advantage of ideal weather and excellent running areas at Robins to get in some prime cardiovascular exercise. However, base officials urge runners and drivers to use caution to ensure runners' attempts to get healthier don't result in trips to the emergency room. One thing many runners may not know is, when running on a road, Department of Defense instruction states runners should run against traffic so they can see cars coming at them. Also, Eddie Goad, assistant director of the Fitness Center, said runners should also never have ear phones on when running on a road so they can hear traffic. Runners should be sure to have reflective gear on when running in low-light conditions. Even better, he noted, is to avoid running in a roadway. The fitness center has a three-plus mile running trail which is almost entirely a dedicated path. Only a small portion with little traffic puts the runner in the roadway. And even better than that, he said, is to run on the newly-paved oval track outside the Fitness Center. The surface of the quarter-mile track is considered one of the best running surfaces to avoid injuries related to repetitive impact.