Why Do Joggers Jog In The ROAD When There's A Perfectly Fine Sidewalk...

[arwalden]

... just three feet away?

Not just on the road, near the edge or on the shoulder... but 2 feet IN the road! This, I do not understand.

Joggers, runners, can you clarify?

-- Allen

[gyopsy]

1. This annoys me too

I'm always so afraid I'm going to hit them! I usually have to swerve into the other lane to avoid them. Even if they are on the shoulder, it's still too scary for me to deal with on a busy avenue.

Do these people think they can keep up with the cars or something?

[Lars39]

2. I've wondered if they think the road pavement is less stressful

to their knees/shins than concrete sidewalks. :shrug:

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

12. Asphalt is definitely less wear and tear than concrete.

[H2O Man]

3. for attention.

There is no other reason.

[arwalden]

4. Perhaps They Have A Death Wish?

or they're hoping to survive an impact so that they can sue for personal injury damages?

-- Allen

[MASSAFRA]

5. I am the one

that is annoying you. I jog facing traffic and as far to my left as possible. Sidewalks are not as smooth as the asphalt. There are spaces between the sections of sidewalk. I think that the asphalt is softer.

[Blue Gardener]

6. Often at dawn or dusk as well

Could have easily hit a jogger the other day at dawn, on my way to work. Came around a corner and there he was, right in the road instead of on the sidewalk. He wasn't easy to see, no reflectors on, no blinkers, no nothing. Of course it would have been all my fault, not his. The sidewalks are there for a reason! I don't drive on the sidewalk, please don't walk/run in the street. If the sidewalks are that bad in your area, maybe invest in a treadmill or join a health club? We have a lot of trails in our area that are well used also.

[Nikia]

7. Side walks are harder than roads

Sidewalks are the worst thing to run on. As someone mentioned before, they sometimes are treacherous too.
I don't understand why they wouldn't want to be as close to the edge as possible. I suppose that some shoulders don't have very good footing, but they should still be as close to the edge as possible.
There are is no substitute for running outside. Tread mills are awful, especially if you would want to enter a race or something.
Runners should always strive to be safe though. If you run at night, realizr that cars may not be able to see you. Be prepared to move when cars are approaching. As our cross country coach said "The most important part of the workout is not getting hit by a car."

[YellowRubberDuckie]

8. Most towns have TRACKS that are open to the public...

GO THERE! Oh, and the rule for walkers is to walk AGAINST traffic...If you're on a bike, you're considered a motor vehicle...Ride on the RIGHT with the Traffic.
Duckie

[Jim__]

9. When you're tired ...

stepping up over the curb every block is a real pain in the ass.

[gyopsy]

11. Understood...

but it's better than risking being hit by a car imho.

[smirkymonkey]

10. Why do joggers jog at all??

I am completely baffled...