The Communicator

Head-to-toe in matching workout gear, groups of runners head up and down Commonwealth Avenue as they gear up to race at the fastest indoor track in the world, right here at Boston University.

“I’ve seen so many runners up and down the street, all with matching school gear, but I didn’t know what for,” says Beatrice Lebine, a student at BU.

Although students often pass groups of runners on their way to class, most have no idea that BU even has an indoor track. Lebine says she has run on the track loop located at the BU Fitness and Recreation Center (FitRec), but doesn’t always enjoy it. 

“FitRec can be a lot. It’s typically super busy,” says Lebine.

Little did Lebine know that BU has an alternative track open to all students.  The Boston University Track and Tennis Center (TTC) is a 200-meter indoor track facility with tennis courts on the infield. Located at 100 Ashford St. on BU’s west campus, the TTC is one of the fastest indoor tracks in the world.

Daniel Hruska, a member of the BU track and field team, advocates for the fast design of the BU indoor track. “It’s a banked track where the outside lanes are elevated, which makes it easier to go around the bends,” says Hruska.

The track’s wide, steeply banked turns allow runners to maintain momentum around the oval. Beneath the track’s surface is a wooden base, which reduces impact while running, allowing for maximum energy return, creating the ideal environment for fast racing and training. 

Although the track is specifically designed for fast running, nothing makes the track faster than the environment at the BU track meets.

“More so, it’s the environment, where people at the track know they come to BU to run fast, and therefore run fast,” says Hruska.

Fellow BU track and field member, Molly Kiley, says there is a noticeable difference between the BU track and other indoor tracks. “In high school, we had all our indoor meets at the Reggie Lewis Center and [BU’s track is] very noticeably bouncier when running on it,” says Kiley.

Because of its world-class reputation, the TTC regularly draws elite competition. Weekend meets hosted by Boston University attract top collegians and professional runners from around the world.

In 2025, Olympic medalist Grant Fisher set the indoor 5,000-meter world record at the TTC – a time of 12:44.09. That same season, Josh Hoey broke the world record in the 600 meters at the TTC with a time of 1:12.84. Numerous collegiate runners have set records, including Jane Hedengren of Brigham Young University, who ran a 14:44.79 5,000-meter. 

Although the TTC has produced many elite performances, it is open to runners of all levels (with a BU ID). Its hours are posted on the BU Fitness and Recreation website. The 200-meter oval is open for everything from easy jogging to testing your own mile time.