O Henry Middle School

My middle school days ended back when Madonna still had a perm, so I can’t comment much on O. Henry’s merit as an educational institution, although the public school is consistently rated as one of the best in the nation. I can tell you that the school is named for witty writer William Sydney Porter, better known by his pen name of O. Henry (yes, that’s with a period after the O). This review concerns the school’s purpose as a free community resource for fitness, and in that arena, O. Henry gets a solid 3.75 stars.
The AISD campus is located on Exposition Blvd. just a few blocks north of Lake Austin Blvd. in the hoity-​toity Old Austin neighborhood of Tarrytown (bordered by Mopac to the east, the Colorado River to the west, and 35^th St. to the north). Within walking distance is a Randall’s grocery store, the Lion’s Club Golf Course, the West Austin Youth Association (WAYA) sport complex, and the Howson Branch of the Austin Public Library.
The Austin Runners Club
and Al’s Ship of Fools
running groups meet here most Tuesday and Thursday evenings for free workouts on the O. Henry track or longer tempo runs in the hilly surrounding neighborhoods. The cushy-​surfaced track is well maintained and the parking lot facing Exposition serves as a nice rest, stretch, & hydration area.
The track is about 62 meters shorter than the traditional 400 (it’s about a fifth of a mile), but you can use your Garmin or other GPS device to track your true distance. Some common distances and the number of laps required:
1600M = 4.875 laps
1200M = 3.5 laps
1000M = 3 laps
800M = 2.33 laps
600M = 1.875 laps
400M = 1.25 laps
Never run a track before? Here are some tips:
Parking is very limited, so I generally park on the street behind the school. Check signs for time limits & restrictions so that you don’t get towed!
There are tennis courts on the back side of the campus off Norwalk Lane and they are always in use by local adults when I’ve been on site after school hours.
Unfortunately, the buildings are not usually unlocked in the evenings, so restrooms are generally not available. Sometimes I get lucky and there’s a volleyball game or something going on and I get to access those precious facilities. Otherwise, I run over to the library or Randall’s (or in dire need, one of the many porto-​potties in the yards of homes under renovation) for relief.
Check the school calendar
for special events that may close public access to outdoor amenities.