“Have you heard they’re shutting down Lake Murray on the weekdays?” a teammate asked me as we ran from the lake back to school, a 0.8-mile route I’ve taken almost every day while running on Patrick Henry High School’s cross-country and track and field teams. 

I was shocked, almost outraged.

This lake that I’d run for years, from the time I could barely run a mile and a half with my mom that I’d now run up and down through workouts and long runs with friends had become a home to me — like so many other locals nearby. 

Worse, we weren’t even the only ones affected. 

City parks, like Chollas Lake and Lake Miramar, which serve as community centers for neighborhoods, would be closing their gates.

There were petitions circulated and outrage expressed by many following news of the proposed reduced access hours. 

Then, in a recent reassessment of budget cuts, the city of San Diego said Lake Murray and the other parks would restore operations to seven days a week. Lake lovers around the neighborhood breathed a collective sigh of relief. 

For many, the threatened closure led to an appreciation for the park, a reflection on exactly why Lake Murray is so important.  So, let me, and a few other of these lake lovers, remind you exactly why this lake was worth fighting for in case it is ever threatened again.

A place to train for all

Lake Murray has long served as a friendly, beautiful place for locals to stay fit. 

“I marvel at the variety of people engaged in activities that bring them joy and purpose, always with a smile on their face or enraptured in social activities,” said Andrew Myette, coach of the cross-country team at Patrick Henry High. 

Over the last 26 years of teaching and coaching, he has spent much time at the lake, helping the team train.

Myette described, “Whether on the grass at Lake Murray Community Park or on the lake road itself, Lake Murray has provided the team with varying terrain, distances, and challenges within a fun, interesting, and, most importantly, safe location to train and improve as a team.” 

Having a neighborhood space that is safe and accessible, is a major resource.

That is not just for the cross country team at Patrick Henry, but everyone in the neighborhood. This includes brisk walkers and marathon trainers who want to stay fit and active.

One of these local trainees, Kate Touchet, has used the park often, from running for Mesa College and Patrick Henry and cross-training for Iron Man by biking the trails. She noted how the park allowed her to train without ever having to fear for her safety. 

“I don’t know what I would have done without Lake Murray,” Touchet said. “It’s just a sanctuary for athletes.” 

The safety of the lake, whether you’re a runner or taking your kid to ride their bike around the lake, allows for everyone to get out and stay active, without worrying about danger.

Having a safe space for those in the neighborhood to stay active is a privilege that many cities and some neighborhoods in San Diego — a region that prides itself on accessible green space — can’t say that they have.

A natural respite

The so-called runner’s high may be potent, but the benefits of stepping outside in natural spaces like Lake Murray may be even greater. 

Studies have shown that green spaces have amazing effects on one’s mental health, regulating our nervous system and stress in as little as five minutes. Quick interactions with nature can boost moods, improve cognitive functions, and help one better regulate emotions.

Many locals use Lake Murray as a place to unwind after a long workday, while others come during their lunch break to listen to the birds and maybe take a quick walk before heading back to the office. 

This natural space, in the middle of a developed neighborhood, provides a respite from the hustle and bustle of daily life, away from the stressful work emails and aggressive traffic. It’s an invaluable community tool that wildly improves our collective mental health.

Creating community

Amid a thriving community, flanked by neighborhoods, golf greens, tennis courts, and baseball fields, the park has served as a meeting place for so many.

From past Fourth of July fireworks to parties near the playground to standing walking dates with friends, the whole lake pulses with the energy of community. It is a place where people have fun.

Sam Cross, who lives at one end of the lake, walks to meet a significant other who lives at the other end.

“We walk to meet in the middle when we’re too busy to go out to a restaurant,” Cross said. “We just walk the lake, feed ducks, and just enjoy each other’s company.”

The lake is a beautiful place to do just that. It serves as a backdrop to be with people you care about.

As much as the lake is a place for connection today, it took on an even greater role in fostering connection during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Dorothy Iannuzzi and Patti Murphy, who respectively worked as a teacher and emergency nurse in the early days of the pandemic, met at the lake once or twice a week to decompress and support each other. 

“We had started to run together before COVID when we connected as busy working moms with a penchant for getting up early and running before work,” Iannuzzi said.

But quickly, a pre-COVID tradition and space that used to be for feeding the ducks with her daughter, as Murphy described, became a winding, quiet walk, with only a few others using the trails. 

Greeting each other with sympathetic air hugs and smiles, they walked along together, enjoying the scenery and conversation.

Iannuzzi noted, “Our running once or twice a week kept us connected.” 

Murphy added, “We were able to connect and support each other. The lake gave us the backdrop… (it) gave me something to look forward to each week… and a brief respite from the stress the pandemic brought.” 

Lake provides a connection for many people 

In a time when the idea of community felt strained and distant, and many needed more support than ever, the lake provided a space for that connection to continue, even if at a distance, walking along the same trails.

After the threatened closure of the lake, and hearing the stories of so many, I can’t help but smile at every person I run past on my usual route lined with cattails and eucalyptus. 

Every person I pass has a story, some reason they defend the lake path they’re enjoying – whether it’s the memories of training with a team, walking with a boyfriend, feeding ducks with your kids, or meeting up with old friends when the world felt like it was upside down.

So, the next time you take a quick walk, go kayaking or fishing at Lake Murray, or find yourself at an event in the park or a baseball game, turn to someone and smile at them.

 And maybe thank them, since it’s because of them, and you, and everyone else who advocated for this special place, that you can keep making memories at Lake Murray.

And remember, through your own stories and so many others, exactly why we should fight to keep Lake Murray open if it’s ever threatened again.

Editor’s note: Amelia Kirkegaard is a recent graduate of Patrick Henry High School.