The 10-year-old McCurdy Track is due for an upgrade.
Named for the former Harvard University track coach and Harvard resident Bill McCurdy, the track is a testament to passion, hard work, and community involvement. Now, after nearly 11 years, its long-anticipated resurfacing is due.
The McCurdy Track, an impressive $1.2 million facility, was created entirely through donations and volunteers. “The whole community came through and was so supportive and so excited,” Amy Jackson, one of the original fundraising coordinators, explains.
Bill McCurdy passed away in the winter of 1999, and at his memorial service a group of former Harvard University runners discussed Bill’s lifelong dream of building a track for the town of Harvard.
Anonymous donor ignites fundraising
It was at this memorial service that an anonymous donor stepped forward and committed to matching, dollar for dollar, funds raised by the town so long as the track was named after Bill. “If it wasn’t for Bill McCurdy, I would not have what I have today,” he said.
The town had purchased 34 acres on Lancaster County Road in 1998. With an ideal site and the promise of matched donations, John Lee, Harvard Park Association chairman at the time; his brother, Jim Lee; and Amy Jackson hired an architect, created a plan, forged a fundraising committee, and began seeking donations. The proposed plan included the William McCurdy community track, botanical gardens and trails, a full-sized soccer field, and a community playground. “We started with a track, then turned around and realized we were creating a whole park,” Jackson states. The two-year undertaking to raise funds was completed through a series of donations, phone-a-thons by Bromfield track runners, mailings, open houses, events at Fruitlands Museum, and the work of countless volunteers.
Ground broken in 2002
In 2002 ground was broken, and June 2003 marked the first dedication and track meet of Bromfield. Since then, the track has been a central part of the Harvard community. “When you put a project like this together, you don’t know for sure if it is going to be successful,” says Jackson. “It’s been joyful to see how people have loved it.”
A group of volunteers organized the construction of a field house, installed electrical wiring, and is responsible for the planting and weeding. The track hosts runners and walkers of all ages, yoga and boot camp classes, Frisbee clubs, playgroups, and Boy Scouts. It is where the Bromfield students run their home track and cross-country meets.
At the most recent Conservation Preservation Committee meeting, Bill’s son, Alex McCurdy, shared a recent experience of walking the track at night. He had seen the same woman walking through all weather, and he asked her, “It’s dark, it’s cold, and it’s wet. Why are you here?” Her response? “I want to live. I have a bad heart and I walk to live.”
This is when Alex McCurdy was struck with the importance of a track that is safe and accessible. “Growing up, my world revolved around track, but this really changed my opinion about what track was—for a community. For the young, the old, and the in-between.”
Synthetic rubber surface
a popular feature
One reason the McCurdy Track is so popular among walkers of all ages is because it is made from synthetic rubber that is easy on knees and backs and offers traction in slick weather. But it’s been 10 years since the track was built and the surface has begun to lift.
“We knew it would be about 10 years, but it’s coming to 11—every single winter that goes by the more damage can happen,” Amy Jackson says. “A bad winter and ice storm could cause significant problems…the more it lifts, the more expensive it is to repair.”
The evidence of wear is the reason the Harvard Park Association is making the push for funds this year. The CPC has voted unanimously to recommend to Town Meeting this April that $120,000 of the town’s Community Preservation Fund be used to pay for the project. If passed, the money will cover the cost of refurbishing the surface.
“It’s important for people to remember the original effort that went in,” says Jackson. “This was 100 percent volunteers, and it is going to continue to flourish because of the volunteers. They will help keep the track as the jewel, the gem, the diamond of Harvard and keep the memory of Bill alive.”
