“Pi” (or π) has been 3.141 for over 4000 years, but I recently discovered a different form of it on the Georgia Tech campus during a recent stay in the dorms. At Georgia Tech, pi also happens to be a running trail. If you are a runner that will be visiting campus, it is a “must do” for your running trail list. There are three primary reasons to run this trail. First, it happens to be the only trail that I know of that is the exact distance of π, so you can impress your mathematically-inclined friends. Secondly, it winds through a former Olympic site. A third reason to run it is because of all the interesting landmarks you will pass along its course.

Officially known as the Tyler Brown Pi Mile, it was named in honor of a former Tech student who campaigned for a safe running trail on campus during his term as SGA president. However, Tyler never ran on his trail. Before the trail could be finished, he was ambushed and killed by insurgents while serving in Iraq. The trail doesn’t really have an official beginning or end. It follows a circuitous 3.14 mile route around the edge of the Georgia Tech campus that will eventually take you back to where you started. The trail is designed to run clockwise. Every quarter mile and on most corners you will find a bronze-like plaque (see above picture) embedded in the sidewalk. Just follow the direction of the arrow (or opposite if running counterclockwise). Even though plaques mark the route, it is strongly recommended you study the route map or even take a copy of it with you. Things could quickly get real scary if you accidently wander off campus in the wrong place. Another problem you may encounter is finding parking. It is not recommended you park off campus due to (at the time this was written) robberies in the area. There is some metered parking around the student center and a couple other areas on campus, but you must arrive early to get it. I’d recommend checking the campus map prior to arrival. I prefer the student center parking lot best because there are numerous bathrooms and post-run food and drinks are available at food kiosks inside. And speaking of bathrooms, you should be able to find them in any administrative or classroom building along the way.

The description below describes the trail in visually-common segments from a clockwise direction (I thought the trail was easier to run clockwise) starting on McMillan St. Don’t let my tongue-in-cheek comments and crime warnings deter you, the trail is generally safe (both from crime and cars), relatively scenic and relaxing. Just take the usual precautions and be aware of your surroundings. Oh, and one last thing for the litigious; run at your own risk and don’t believe a word I have written here.

McMillan Street to Hemphill
Located in the heart of the former 1996 Olympic athletic village, the trail rises slowly through a valley of red-brick dorms and apartments that housed the athletes. The buildings were made to look like some turn-of-the-century English manor but the entire place has a modern feel to it. Some of the practice facilities and clubs established during the Olympics are still evident if you look close enough. The sidewalks are lined with young oak trees, so expect shade most of the time. Passing the Woodruff Dining hall, the trail turns onto 8th Street and steeply dips into a valley of parking lots.

State Street to 10th Street to Fowler
Evidence of the city prior to the existence of Georgia Tech begins to appear as you turn north on State Street, via the remnant s of 1920’s-1940’s housing along State Street. They are now student ghetto housing. Turning onto 10th street, the urban inhumanity that modern Atlanta has become slaps you in the face. Type-A personalities honk and rev their engines as bumper-to-bumper traffic plows down 10th Street. Run this part at rush hour and your lungs will burn from a thousand spewing exhaust pipes while you run uphill toward an ugly interstate on-ramp. One bright spot to this otherwise miserable part of the trail is being able to tell your friends and family you ran past the nerve center of the Cartoon Network.

Fowler Street to Fowler-and-6th Street
The 10th Street slapdown doesn’t last long as you turn south onto Fowler Street. Here, you leave behind the noise and pass through rows of non-descript administrative buildings on the east side and athletic facilities on the west. The runner is also rewarded with a nice view of the Georgia Tech track, though it’s through a 6-foot high, barbed wire fence. I’m not sure if the barbed-wire fence is an attempt to keep their track team from escaping to the University of Georgia or to keep out overzealous amateur runners.

Fowler Street (at 6th Street) to Bobby Dodd
Here is where you run through Greek Row. The buildings that look like every other Greek section of every other college campus on which I have been. Despite running past here in July, beer bottles and other assorted trash was piled high around the housing and they appeared to be in various stages of disrepair. Running by them, I imagine the ghost of John Belushi standing in front of one asking me, “What the f**k happened to the Delta I used to know? Where's the spirit? Where's the guts, huh?” You might not want to run this part on a Saturday night or after finals…unless you like to party or watching urban wildlife.

Bobby Dodd to Cherry Street
Here is where the trail gets tricky. Many street corners are not marked with plaques and some of the sidewalk was torn up when I ran it. I went long stretches without seeing any markers. It’s very easy to get off the trail if you are not familiar with it. This portion is also where I began to see homeless people encroaching campus and boarded up buildings (across North Ave). This segment probably wouldn’t be a good place to run alone at night. I’m not telling you this to scare you off the trail; I’m just saying you need to be keenly aware of your surroundings while passing through here and to pay attention to road signs. The highlight of this trail section is circling around the Georgia Tech football stadium and running in front of the Coca Cola building. I’m not a fan of either, so it didn’t do anything for me, but if visiting stadiums are your thing, it’s an opportunity for a great souvenir picture and another reason you should run this trail.

Cherry St. to Ferst
This part goes through the oldest sections of campus. Its shaded, quiet, the buildings have interesting, Victorian-style architecture anchors the campus. It feels like a traditional campus and is the kind of place you would want to come back to after running to open a book and hang out. Most of the campus has a very modern feel, so the contrast between old and new really highlights the beauty of this section. It is a must-do portion of the trail. However, I didn’t see any trail markers in this section, so either memorize the trail route or prepare to place yourself at the mercy of a kind Georgia Tech student to help you find it again. Luckily, they are not hard to find.

Ferst to 6th Ave. to McMillan
Leaving Cherry Street, you are reminded of how much expansion occurred after the 1996 Olympics. It seems to go on to the west forever in widely spaced rows of modern, “tech-ish” buildings and residence halls. However, it’s really not that big of a deal because the real highlight of this trail section is how the trees give way to open sky and incredible views of the midtown Atlanta skyline and beyond. It is an especially beautiful view on a clear night. Another highlight is passing the Student Athletic Center, which was the site of the Olympic Aquatic Center. If available, I’d recommend skipping a run one morning, paying the visitor fee and swimming some laps in the Olympic pool so you brag about it to your friends and family.