a low friction wear surface 28 for belt 18 deck support 20 includes a first top surface 22 on a top side deck support 20 can be plywood medium density fiberboard mdf metal plastic or other material suitable to support the weight and impact of a runner 39 s footsteps treadmill deck insert 26 is positioned on the first broad surface of deck support 20 with wear surface 28 adjacent belt 18 insert 26 comprises an insert core 30 and a resin impregnated paper layer 32 laminated across a first broad surface 34 on a top side of core 30 and a second broad surface on a bottom side of core 30 lamination of core 30 and paper layers 32 is performed in a high temperature high pressure laminating press it was determined through experimentation that standard mdf and plywood materials which typically have a moisture content of 5 6 or higher were not suitable for use in thin laminates with phenolic impregnated paper due to delamination and dimensional stability concerns it was determined through significant continued experimentation that use of an isocyanate resin mdf material with a reduced moisture content of about 3 4 or less resulted in durable lamination of a phenolic impregnated paper layer 32 to a fiberboard core 30 with good wear surface characteristics this was particularly significant in enabling lamination with very thin mdf cores 30 of about u00bc inch or less another embodiment of deck insert 26 comprises multiple phenolic saturated kraft paper layers 32 applied.