Johnson County encourages runners to use trail etiquette

Tiffin resident Tyler Asbe runs nearly every day of the week, and while on those runs his mind goes to other places.

“You are kind of hyper-aware of it," Asbe said. "Trying to be aware of who is in front of you or behind you, trying to stay to one side of the sidewalk, kind of think about those things more often right now just so you're not crowding people and you're keeping your distance the best you can.”

Nick Bergus, with the city of North Liberty, was part of an effort to encourage people to practice new exercise habits while out and about in the neighborhood.

“Its Spring in Iowa which means folks have been camping out inside for months now," Bergus said. "We always see more folks out in the spring."

While running on sidewalks or trails, Bergus said it's important to continue to practice steps like social distancing just like you would anywhere else.

Runners, like Asbe, said he sees these new ways of going about running staying in place beyond this pandemic.

“People that run consistently and that are used to it, I think it will turn out to be kind of the new normal," Asbe said. "Just keeping your distance, not necessarily having to change day to day or your workout routine too much but just being more aware of your surroundings and everything I think it's going to be an important factor moving forward.”

“Just be courteous, be aware, be respectful," Bergus said. "These are good guidelines when you are using trails anytime and it's particularly good right now when folks might be feeling a little more anxious or when they actually need it to make sure we're not spreading coronavirus."