Drake Stadium

The field and facilities were fine. I wish that there was some signage to guide people from the parking lots to the one and only entrance that was open. We literally walked around the entire stadium to find the one entrance. Also the food vendors were not ready to handle the crowds and people sitting near us said that it took 45 min to get popcorn and nachos. They gave up on a hot dog because of the line. Our group decided to not eat there as a result. Otherwise it was a fun evening and cool to see Wrexham in person.

One of the best tracks to run on. It may be hard to sometimes find hours that it is open to the public, but when you get the opportunity, it is great. The track has a great view of the campus buildings. The blue track has a great feel to it that creates the sensation of a "fast" track.

We were here for the Angel City Games... This was such an awesome event... The volunteers were amazing! They cheered the athletes on in every event and helped where and whenever needed with a smile. The venue was great... Such a beautiful campus!

UCLA has a stadium for v track and field and soccer matches . It is closed for covid-19, but it's open to the public at times.

Truly a best-in-class collegiate stadium with sick stairs and a track even the public can use! If you like to work out, come run with the November Project crew on Wednesday’s 6:30am! It’s free, fun and always a great time. Pro Tips: - Come around 6:15am to see the beautiful sunrise over UCLA’s campus

Drake has a nice vibe for workouts, and everyone is very supportive of each other. After 9am, there is a chance that you won't be allowed in without UCLA ID. If the track team is having an official practice, you can still work out on the stairs, and on the top concourse. It's bad form to interrupt the occasional celebrity or elite athlete during a workout. Try doing "snakes" on the stairs: up, over, down, over, up, over... going back and forth across the west face of the stadium. You can add exercises at the top and bottom of the stairs like pushups or squats. There are also pullup bars, horizontal ladders, and vertical rope climbs on the north end. A great place to do a creative outdoor workout. Closest parking is Structure 7, which has hourly parking available. For track meets, or other athletic events, there is very little shade. Seat cushions are recommended for the bleacher seating, but all seats have backs. Generally, you would enter at the southwest entrance on the top concourse. Restrooms are at the top of the stairs on the west wall for events (for working out, there is a track level restroom south of the stands, that is functional, but not nice).

Great track and field experience

Great spot for the UCLA community to run, do stairs, and use the rig for general upper body fitness. Occasionally though, the stadium is closed for games or track team practice.

Beautiful track! Nice amenities! Watch out for parking! Drake Track Stadium is the perfect place to workout, as long as you're a student, have a membership, or with someone who does. From stadiums circuits, to long distance runs, short distance sprints, and pull ups, the stadium has everything we need for a dynamic workout! The stadium is always clean, so no debris on the steps to cause missteps/injuries. There are vending machines right outside of the stadium with snacks/drinks to recharge! The parking is a bit tricky. You'll think you can park in certain lots, and then you end up getting ticketed. You will likely choose parking structure 7 since it's closest to the stadium, but it's best to use the one before that if you don't have a pass. I've gotten a couple tickets, so figured I'd warn yall!

Closed for now. Plan accordingly when wanting to use the restroom. All restrooms are located inside of buildings closed to the public and or locked. Everything else looks lovely from the closed gates.

I've been doing sprints here 3X/week all of 2020 and now into 2021; I'm low key addicted. It's such a great place to do your workouts and on top of that the rubber tracks are good for my *ageing* knees. My friends actually took me here while we were training back in 2018 or else I would have never known about this spot even during my UCLA days. Outdoor sprints are the best, TRUST. Nike rival spikes is a game changer--how did you think I got 40 yards in 4.82 seconds :)

Great track and stair work outs! Any non-UCLA students and faculties can pay $240/quarter for access to the track and other training facilities. Go on UCLA Recreation website to sign up. Access to bathrooms are either upstairs at the stadium if open or ,at the student center (far) upstairs the exterior steps and enter through glass doors.

Pretty good track workout. The actual track is made of soft rubber. I also ran up and down the steps to switch up my cardio. I came on the 4th of July around 2p and it wasn't crowded at all (go figure :P ) Parking was meh, I paid in a nearby garage for about $6-$9 but it was worth it for my 3.5hr workout in a new destination. They have so many memorials at the stadium and nearby it's like a UCLA athletic museum. I know many reviews say this is open to the public but only when the the kid isn't checking for student IDs at the table near the main entrance. TIP: enter in near the top (see photo attached) and come down from the stairs onto the track. No student ID patrol there

Unexpectedly I become a huge fan of UCLA Bruins women's soccer team. My daughter that plays soccer and likes going to these games has something to do with it I guess. Parking is really easy during events. Getting in/out takes 10min at the most. Parking is $12. Game tickets are very affordable although I wish they would admit kids for free. Paying for the 5 year old does not make much sense. Don't buy tickets in advance online, buy them on the spot and save on "convenience" fees online. Stadium never gets even half full, any seat is a good seat.

Come for the stairs. Come for new friends. Come for a grsweat. Come for November Project at 6:30am!

From the looks of things only, the stadium looks clean and amazing. But, it's been closed since March 2020, due to COVID. Security said the stadium likely will be closed until the school reopens

You wanna know how I got my perfectly shaped Apple Bottom/Shelf Booty? Three words.... DRAKE TRACK STADIUM.

Wanna get a super awesome workout and have buns of steel? Well then people, go tackle the drake stairs! Perfect rows of stairs for you to run up and down until your legs can no longer take it, but your butt will definitely thank you the next day. Everyone is there to work out and the atmosphere is actually very inspiring haha. Do the "drake snake" and repeat. This my friend, will give you a nice burn. If you're into running around in circles, then the track will be perfect for you. Nice, cushiony, easy on your feet. Just make sure you watch where you're going and don't run into the dividers... (i've came close several times). 4 times around the track is about a mile. So if you're sick of the gym and wanna get some fresh air, come out and do a few laps.

Drake Stadium is a great place to work out on their stairs and run on their track. If you are not a student, parking is quite a hassle, especially after 5 pm. Once you've passed the parking hurdle, everything is awesome. Plenty of room. Not at all over-crowded (unlike Sta Monica stairs). Really great place to work out.

Lots of fun memories. Lab school jig-a-thon. Or JOG-A-THON! EXCITING international pro games, school competitions, POWOWs, or personal health for locals. Great memories! Thanks UCLA!!! GO BRUINS!

What a nice public track! This track is public, especially during early mornings/afternoons, and I'm assuming that they have collegiate practice in the afternoons. I'm sure that they close the track when they have official track practice. So it could be good to find out the times if you come here regularly. They have GREAT STAIRS for stair workouts. Its pretty high, but not TOO high. There are also a number of them, so I would expect even if it were crowded, it wouldn't be a problem. The track is MONDO surface which means its supposed to be like hard carpet, and a fast track. You are only allowed to wear 1/4 Pyramid inch spikes on this track. No needle spikes - for all of the sprinters out there. PARKING! YES, an issue in Los Angeles. However, sometimes you can get lucky on Gayley Ave, or Verteran Ave. Those are my two top parking spots. However there are garages that charge a decent amount of money.

Came here late on a Sunday to workout. Snaked the stairs and ran on the track. It's really well kept and closes at 10pm I believe. Tip : bring your UCLA ID

I was dying. DYING. It looked easy. Running up and down the row of stairs in the stadium. I did it once and it took me a few days to recover. I can't wait to do it again though. Since I have nights and weekend parking pass, I'm sure I'll revisit again. I couldn't keep up with my thighs of steel companion who has asthma. and he still kicked my ass. Bruised ego..

This is a great place to take a jog/run when it is open to everyone. Occasionally, there are men/women's soccer games here which I attend as well. There was also the Relay for Life held here. Conveniently located near the Hill, it is very convenient to go here for sports games, etc.

Favorite place for a great stair climb workout and for running. Came here on a Sunday morning at 8am and there were a total of 5 people all spread out climbing the stairs. The stairs are evenly distributed, and wide enough for two people. The stadium is beautiful, spacious, and overlooks the soccer field/campus. Found street parking on the corner of Gayley and Strathmore and walked about 10 min up to the stadium.

Really nice to run sprints in the sun on a Saturday ! Turf area is closed as of July 6,2019

My favorite place to work out! Drake Stadium was renovated to change from a red rubber track to a blue one, so it's super modern and aesthetically pleasing. Everyone keeps to themselves and does their own thing. From time to time, you'll see youths training or athletes practicing and it's kind of cool/inspiring to watch. Drake is open to everyone, although limited to students from 6pm-10pm, so bring your BruinCard or your UCLA Rec ID! If you forget your ID, you can recite your student ID number or log onto MyUCLA. P.S. stadium lights turn off at 10 PM. If you're scared, run with a buddy!

Drake Track Stadium Open hours to the public. M-F 7:00am-1:00pm 6:00pm-10:00pm Sa 12:00pm-10:00pm Su 7:00am-10:00pm

This is a great place to run stairs and track, totally free. Everything here is very well maintained and lit well at night. Now get off the couch and go exercise so you can eat more!

The track is amazing! There are stadium steps to up your workout too for something new, as well as a whole calisthenics area equipped with pull-up bars, a couple roman chairs for straight leg raises or dips, monkey bars, gymnastics rings, boxes and steps for box jumps, and a rope. The campus is gorgeous and clean too. DISCLAIMER: I am NOT a UCLA student, I have just been craving a switch to my workout routines, so when I went on a Sunday afternoon it was fine- they were not checking IDs. I was under the impression the track was open to the public on the weekends, but I tried to go on a weekday night and they were checking iDs (totally understandable I wouldn't want random ppl on my college campus haha) so they said to get a membership online for access but they still let me use it that time after filling out a waver. Super nice of them! Not sure if it is open to the public on weekends or if no one checks but I would actually like to know if anyone knows the specifics. So go on a weekend and prepare to sweat!

I would give this place 5 stars but there have been reports of girls getting mugged or sexually harassed at night. If you work out or go on runs at night, please jog with a friend and be safe. Other than the shady things that happen at night, this place is great for stretching, running on the track, or doing stadium stair workouts.

Excellent track at UCLA, it's well lit for late night workouts. The stadium is a perfect alternate to the gym's stairmaster. I went on a late night but wasn't creeped out at all, there were still a handful of people working out at 10pm- only in LA. I definitely recommend heading out there, parking lot 6 is the nearest at $1.00 per hour, they don't take coins so bring the plastic or cash. Or there's parking throughout Westwood.

An excellent track and my favorite place to run. Here's a tip though! The track is now closed at certain times for UCLA track team practices...although if you arrive close to practice time, usually some athletes are on the field...and boy, do they make you feel slow! :P Anyways, here are the times: Monday-Friday: dawn to 1:00pm, 5:30pm to 9:45pm Saturday: dawn to 9:00am, 12:00n to 9:45pm Sunday: dawn to 9:45pm I think the schedule changes each quarter though, so be sure to check back on the website for the latest information at http://www.recreation.ucla.edu/insidepage.aspx?uid=8a140cd9-ce7e-4830-bef1-5683cbc39fd9. Happy running, everyone!

I used to come here on late nights to run. I wasn't a hardcore runner or anything, but it just felt nice to work out with Royce Hall in sight. I felt really safe coming here by myself at night because even though the lights turn off around 10:30PM, there is still plenty of lighting coming from the soccer field adjacent to the track. Plus, there are always a few night owls running the track on their own. One of my fondest memories was when I came to Drake right before it turned midnight (I was going to be 21!). I looked up at the night sky and saw the bright, beautiful moon looking down on me and all was right in the world. OK, I totally digressed. The track is a beautiful place to work out and there's plenty of space for you to stretch and cool down while other people whiz right pass you. The track is made of some rubbery feeling material so it's not as harsh on your knees as the cement ground. I definitely prefer it over dirt tracks too (eww). The stairs are definitely challenging, but it is really rewarding after you finish. You can tell yourself, "WOW, I ran up and down ALL THAT?!" One of the most satisfying and rewarding feeling ever. Bottom line, if you want a beautiful and uncrowded (at midnight, at least) place to run, come to UCLA's Drake Stadium. I have yet to find a more serene place to run.

The "Drake Snake" stairs workout at the stadium is a breath of fresh air (literally!) and a great break in routine if your exercise is generally limited to indoor gym time. I usually try to complete the stairs at a slower jogging and walking pace, but it still kicks my butt every single time and my calves are always a little sore for a day or two post-workout. I think the stadium is great for exercise because it's never crowded, pretty well-maintained since it's on UCLA's campus, and the track is right there if you want to add in a couple laps before or after your workout. They have a couple grassy areas if you want to stretch or do other things, and the scenery of the campus while you workout is beautiful! I wish I had used the stadium more frequently in undergrad since it was so close to the dorms. If you want to go a little easy on yourself, come out during the cooler hours in the morning or evening - the sun will be less harsh on your skin and it'll feel much better when you're panting and sweating trying to wrap up the last few flights of stairs. Also, if you have never done a stairs workout and attempt to complete the whole thing... be prepared for an awesome ass-kicking! Highly recommended over the Santa Monica Stairs. GO BRUINS! (Yes, this was totally necessary.)

Drake is the place to get your fit on; between the track and the stadium steps there's enough around to get your butt into shape, literally. Almost never crowded and with great views of UCLA, this is one of my favorite morning exercise sessions. I suggest parking in the Westwood neighborhood directly to the west of the stadium/campus although the street parking can be crowded but you just have to keep an eye out for that open spot and don't forget to read the street cleaning signs! Watch out in the summer months as there are a lot of camps using the stadium facility, which doesn't mean you can't run the stairs- you just have to be okay with 400 teenage cheerleaders yelling cheers in your face. You might find that motivating. If you want a great workout without a ton of people all up in your grill (like the Santa Monica Stairs) watching you gasp for air, then Drake is the place. Now go take a lap!

This is my go-to place to workout at UCLA (especially now that I've graduated and can't get into the gym anymore :[ ). It's a NCAA D-I track, so it's always clean and well-maintained. Evening runs are fun when there's plenty of shade and nice breezes. There are also usually various other club sports out there practicing, giving Drake a really nice community feeling. I love the way the track makes a full circle; I could literally run around and around for tens of minutes. A great way to blow off steam after a long day of school, this place is one of the places I'll miss the most about UCLA (next to the dining halls of course). From running here in the evening with the stadium lights on to the daily 7am workouts with my girlfriend, none of these would have been possible without Drake Stadium. Thanks, UCLA, for letting me use it these past years. Get out here and run, people!

The perfect place to get your fitness going, so much so that Olympic hopefulls and the UCLA sports teams practice here. The track is awesome, feels so soft and smooth under your feet. Run it four times and you got a mile. The drake snake (the stadium stairs) are an insane workout and ideal for cross-fit gurus. Their is also substantial amount of grass to perform other types of workouts. At the edge of the stadium, you will find monkey bars, pull up bars and other things to also work out with to assist you in your daily workout. Overall Drake Stadium is the perfect place to get your fitness at!

So long story short, I'm a track whore and after experiencing many tracks I dub this one my favorite tracks to train on. Whether you're there at 5 am or 10:30 pm, rain or shine, there are always motivating/inspiring people out on the track working out. The only downfall is that it can get pretty crowded. I usually like to get my work outs done in the morning and I like that feeling of having the track to myself but even at 5:30 am this is impossible when the whole ROTC crew is out there taking up 4 of the 8 lanes, but anyways...there is a minimal creepiness factor, even late at night after the lights go off (i think this occurs at 10 pm but I could be wrong). All in all I really recommend this place as a great place to work out whether you go to UCLA or not. The people are great and the facilities are amazing (this includes stairs/NCAA D1 track/bars/climbing ropes)

I've been running around a track since I was 11-years old and like to consider myself a "classically trained runner." All those years of running competively during high school were validated one morning at Drake when a former track coach asked me to train with his group. I politely declined, but was super flattered. Now that I'm done tooting my own horn, on to the review: I've loved Drake Stadium since the day I set foot on it my freshman year as a UCLA Bruin. I adore the way a rubber track puts a spring in my gait and a pep in my step. These days, I find a certain solace in running laps by moonlight on a cool evening. Never too crowded, always motivating. PS Try this fun physics experiment with acoustics by speaking softly towards the curve in the cement wall while a friend stands next to the wall yards away. Parking: paid meters in the parking structure under the track.

As good as it gets. Full track, bleachers for running stadiums, sand pits, rope climb, pull-up bars. Legit. Go Bruins.

My running workouts during the week, are on dirt trails, but on the weekends I switch it up with a simple track workout, and Drake Stadium is the stuff dreams are made of. (Note: I went to Berkeley and that is my basis for comparison, that and Pepperdine where I used to run with friends in High School) You trade solitude for an ambiance with a momentous, but well-manicured feel. The field is meticulously maintained, and others are for the most part true runners (or joggers), unlike at Pepperdine, where speed walkers and casual strollers must be carefully avoided. The stairs of the stadium itself, are even and perfect for a butt-blasting few rounds, after sprints. Sunday mornings are best, when street parking on Gayley is free and plentiful.

I have been using this stadium for workouts since I was a freshman at UCLA (since '05). This is my go-to place for an outside workout, specifically for the bleachers. It is very well kept and clean, and there's plenty of space to accommodate many. Like my fellow yelpers have noted, be sure to check on the practice hours, which can vary from quarter to quarter. I suggest calling the front desk of the Wooden Center (the number can be found on the UCLA Directory - http://www.directory.ucla.edu/).

Trying to get all trained up for the Gladiator Run on October 1st (specifically the Quads of the Gods part), I found this little gem looking for arena stairs to run. Perfect place! You still have to skip steps to mimic the ones at the Rose Bowl for the Glad Run, but it was a nice sedate atmosphere with plenty of room (unlike Runyon), well lit, and the track is nice and padded. I took someone's advice and parked on Gayley and had a tough time finding the arena at first. The students at UCLA must be really smart cause there's no signs to anything except the dorms. After asking a few, they pointed me in the right direction. :)

This is a great place to run on UCLA's campus. It's a track, so if you've ever run on a track before you know what to expect. Nice lower impact surfacing, standard distance (one lap = 400m), and 8 lanes to choose between as long as no teams are practicing. In addition, it's got a bunch of grassy areas to do your stretching, sit ups and push ups, etc. And if you're into it, a lot of people run up and down the stairs of the stadium, which is an insane workout. The best part? The track is located right next door to the Wooden center, so you can change, supplement your workout, and shower right there! Great track, and very convenient if you're on campus.

This place is the best. I come here in the mornings to run the stadium stairs and around the track. Not extremely well lit for 6am, but not a big deal. I love that it's open to the public. Drake has replaced my need to do the Santa Monica stairs. It's easier on the knees, a lot less crowded, and overall a better workout. Check the UCLA sites for more detailed info, since the Yelp page isn't completely accurate/complete. http://www.recreation.ucla.edu/insidepage.aspx?uid=8a140cd9-ce7e-4830-bef1-5683cbc39fd9 http://www.uclabruins.com/genrel/062200aae.html

Drake Stadium stairs. I effing LOVE you and HATE you. My cousin Pamela R. and I started running these stairs back in March and the first 3-4 weeks I DIED after the run. Like, I needed about an hour to of trying to keep myself from passing out to recoup. But now, they are still difficult but won't kill me, I still get a little angry (in a good way) afterward. Also, I've been complimented a lot recently on my butt. Thank you Drake!

This is my favorite place to get an out door work out, run a mile on the track then run up and down the stairs. It gives you a great work out, you get a nice view of UCLA and it's never crowded! The only problem is that if you don't have a UCLA parking pass, parking is $8.00 or you can try to find street parking in Westwood but that is not an easy task. Here is a map of UCLA to help out with directions: http://www.ucla.edu/map/map.html

I started Residency at UCLA about 2 months ago and one of my co-interns brought me to Drake Stadium one day. HOLY CRAP I love it!!! My schedule so far hasn't been too bad, so been trying to make it out to Drake 1-3x/week. It's walking distance from my apartment in Westwood and the weather is always PERFECT: sunny but not too hot, breezy but not too cold. It's so nice that I run without my ipod, feels so clean and natural! ^_^ I like to run a few laps around the track, then run up and down the steps of the bleachers, and finish with some sit-ups, push-ups, and pull-ups, which are only possible b/c they have pull-up bars/rings and monkey bars on the north side of the stadium. There's always people running or doing exercises, but never so many that I have to wait in line or feel like I can't do what I want to do (unlike the gym). I was going to join the Wooden Center for a nominal fee, but now maybe I don't have to. Running at Drake beats going to the gym any day! ;D

Great place to run! Lots of people working out on the morining I was there...classes were in session and the gate was open, so I just walked in. Track is modern and easy on your feet and legs. Soccer players were working out in the middle of the track, so I got to kick the ball back to them from time to time. Of course, this just made my workout better :)

Just ran the track for Relay for Life UCLA. It's a great space for events as well as outdoor workouts. Love the stairs, they are absolutely killer on the legs!! Go when the suns not out, it can get extremely hot and sunny during the day.

Pam, you are sooo right! I love this place! I first came here when I was a child and my friends' parents used to take us there for our nightly run. As I got older, I used to run a mile on the track then immediately run the whole stair flights and sprint the last 2 rows of stairs. Now that I live far away, I surely miss it. But as mentioned, parking is quite a task so you can either park $8 or you can (good luck) try to find some parking on the street. Be careful tho, you dont want to be out there too late cause it gets hard to see!

This is a wonderful place to go and get in shape! The track is smooth and great for running (not to mention there is plenty of space for you and your workout buds). And if you want a change in scenery, there are plenty of stairs for you to train a la Rocky style. And beyond this, there is also plenty of grass for you to do you sit-ups and relax. There is a just the right amount of shade so you aren't running in the blistering heat. And as a plus, it's not too crowded so you won't have to wait to get your butt in shape!

Amazing place for a work out. It is immense and although 90% is student crowd; from time to time you could run into a celebrity who happens to live in the area. Everywhere at the track is cleaner than average. I really have enjoyed working out there

Best place to do a night workout. It is really well lit and I find that there are a good number of people here late night, not crowded but safe. The stairs are killer but sooo good for me. It's a little out of my way but It's worth the drive.

If you're going to work out, you're going to love it. If you're going to watch a game, you might not have as much fun. Very simple bleachers and sparse bathrooms and snacks. Sit higher if you can, that way when you zone out you get a great view of UCLA and the LA area.

I loved this spot for working out. I'm sure it's due to some security tightening, but the facilities used to be open to the public at all times except events. Now you have to find a time that doesn't interfere with the student restricted access. During 12-5 is track and field time and 6-10 is student id enforced. That leaves the morning which is no bueno for us working during the day time.