Collin Czarnecki

cczarnecki@tennessean.com

When it comes to allowing running at Brentwood's newest park, city officials say they don't want to rush to any decisions.

While hiking is permitted within Marcella Vivrette Smith Park, park visitors are currently prohibited from running at the 400-acre park, which opened in November and is on Wilson Pike south of Split Log Road.

But runners hoping to change the rules of the park have recently rallied support through the Facebook group "Runners for Ravenswood." The group was launched in October and has about 570 members.

Richard Kenmuir, the group's founder and Brentwood resident, said he has been holding conversations with the city to change the rule.

"Hopefully at some point in time they will reconsider the rule, but at the moment it seems very much up in the air," Kenmuir said. "People are very much behind the idea to change the rule, so it has a pretty big following."

On Thursday, city officials released an official map outlining the park's hiking trails, which stretch and weave for more than 6 miles. The trails are part of Phase I of the park, and additions to the park are expected. But for now, runners are allowed only on the park's paved and gravel surfaces.

"In theory, runners and hikers can coexist, but we'd just like to take time and get a good gauge with how trails can be utilized," said Brentwood City Manager Kirk Bednar.

Considering that this is a first-of-its-kind park for Brentwood, Bednar said the main reason for the running ban boils down to safety.

"Right now our number one concern is the safety of the folks, especially when it comes to the hazards on the trails," Bednar said. "Our position is that right now this is the first time we've had a park of this kind in terms of the natural types of running trails and the trip hazards associated with that, and we're really trying to be conservative with the use of those trails with how widely used they're going to be."

Kenmuir said he understands the city's concerns and has offered to help clear the trails of debris and hazards to make them safer.

"We discussed the idea to volunteer and clean up the trails a little bit because the city feels the trails are not safe to run on," Kenmuir said. "But runners run on a whole lot worse than that, but we understand so we offered to volunteer."

Bednar added that the city has more than 15 miles within its parks that allow running and hiking. But as far as alternatives for trail running, Warner Parks are the only nearby parks trail runners can use.

"Running has always been allowed on the trails, but at the time the park was created it wasn't a big trend like it is now," said Vera Vollbrecht, Warner Park Nature Center director. "We've seen a huge increase in the amount of trail running. It's huge. Some days on Saturdays it's the primary trail use we have at the park."

Even though trail running is allowed at Warner Parks, there are some restrictions. For instance, runners are not allowed to run in large groups, but are encouraged to run with a partner.

"We don't have state rangers out here saying you can't run or anything like that, so safety is really through communication, marketing and education," Vollbrecht said.

After the community becomes familiar with the newly opened Marcella Vivrette Smith Park trail system, Brentwood plans to take a closer look at the running ban, Bednar said.

"We'll come back and reassess the rule after the park has been open for a year."

Kenmuir said he plans to continue to grow support for trail running at the park and is optimistic the city will change the rule.

"I'd like to revisit it at the beginning of the year and hopefully continue the dialogue and really hope that that's the outcome," he said.