On Friday, the Troy Recreational Center will host a ribbon cutting ceremony for its outdoor trail. The trail encompasses about one mile of paved track through forest and has been usable for about three months.

Mayor Jimmy Lunsford, the Troy City Council and several former Troy Recreation Board Members will come out at 10 a.m. for the cutting. The event is open and welcome for the public, center Director Dan Smith said.

The trail first opened in late August. Since then, locals have gotten their exercise while taking advantage of the fall weather.

“We have constantly been making improvements since it opened,” Smith said. “We’ve been really overwhelmed with all the positive comments we’ve received.”

The trail has several benches, a picnic table, a hummingbird feeder and a large wooden tree swing.

Recently, the center ran a water line to the trail and installed a water fountain for thirsty runners.

Over time, Smith said he hopes the area will develop into a park-like setting. He added that people have sighted several deer since they’ve been walking the trail.

“There’s a lot of wildlife,” he said. “It’s just a beautiful setting, and we’re very proud of it.”

Local residents Pat Anderson and his wife Becky have been using the trail since it opened. On Tuesdays and Thursday mornings, Becky walks the trail before her aerobics class while Pat rides his bike.

Since he’s been walking the indoor track since 2007 and using the trail since it opened, 72-year-old Pat has lost 34 pounds and bikes 5-6 miles at a stretch.

“I love to go down there to walk on it and ride my bike on it,” he said of the trail. “It’s just like you’re in the country. A lot of folks need to be going out there.”

During bad weather, the Andersons still use the indoor track, which was designed in part by their son, a local architect. The rubber floor on the track was fashioned to prevent shin splints, Becky said.

For Becky, who is 69 years old, the outdoor trail is as good for her soul as it is for heart and muscles.

“It’s just so calm and peaceful,” she said. “It’s just God and me and whoever else is on the track.”