1-
History & Essentials
2- Track
3- Field
4- Diagram
of Track
5- Special
Events and Cross Country
TRACK
Track events include
running and hurdling events.
Running
Running events prove which
athletes are the fastest and
have the greatest endurance.
An outdoor track, usually dirt
or all-weather material, has
eight lanes, and races are run
counterclockwise. Officials
initiate races with a starter
pistol, and time them with stopwatches
or automatic timers with photo
finishes. The winner crosses
the finish line in the shortest
amount of time. Races of different
distances start at different
places on the track, but all
races end at the same finish
line. There are several types
of running events, including
sprints, relays, and distance
races.
Sprints
Sprinting events include the
100 meter (m), 200 m, and 400
m. In all sprint races, athletes
use starting blocks, placed
one to three feet behind the
starting line. The 100 m and
200 m are sprints demonstrating
speed, while the 400 m combines
endurance and speed. The 100
m is run on the straightaway,
the 200 m starts on the curve,
and the 400 m is one full lap
around the track.
Relays
The relays are the 400 m (4
x 100), 1600 m (4 x 400), and
3200 m (4 x 800). Each relay
team consists of the four fastest
sprinters (four men or four
women). The anchor, the last
person to run, is the fastest;
the lead runner is the second
fastest. Each runner completes
one-fourth of the total distance.
The lead runner begins on a
starting block with a baton.
Once he nears the next runner
on his team, that person begins
to sprint. The baton must be
handed off within a certain
area marked by lines on the
track, or an official waves
a red flag to signify disqualification.
If the baton is dropped, the
entire relay team is disqualified.
Distance Running
Distance running includes
the 800 m and 3200 m. Strategically,
the athletes either keep the
same pace throughout the race,
or start quickly and try to
maintain a reasonable pace to
finish. They also usually try
to save some energy for the
kick, a sprint the
last 100 m of the race.
Hurdles
Hurdling events are similar
to sprints, except that obstacles,
called hurdles, are placed on
the track. There are 8 or 10
hurdles placed at certain distances
and at certain heights, depending
on the distance of the race
and who is running. Mens
races include the 110 m high
hurdles and 300 m intermediate
hurdles. Womens races
include the 100 m high hurdles
and 300 m low hurdles. The goal
is to jump over the hurdle with
the smallest clearance, since
hitting the hurdle or jumping
high causes the runner to slow
down. The lead leg is usually
straight, and the trail leg
follows in a bent position.
An athlete is disqualified if
he tries to go around or purposely
knocks over the hurdles. In
the 100 m and 110 m races, the
best hurdlers take only three
steps between hurdles and use
the same lead leg over every
hurdle. In the 300 m race, the
steps taken between hurdles
usually range from 13 to 17.
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