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track/math question
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If the inside lane is 400 meters, how long is it in the 4th lane? They had those little barriers up to keep the traffic off the inside lanes, and I'm trying to determine exactly how slow I am.
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Re: track/math question [mr. mike] [ In reply to ]
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Don't know off-hand, but here's how to check. Find the Finish Line. It's at the end of one of the two straightaways, and is a straight white line, usually with lane numbers written on the lanes. It often has a curved line right in front of it for the 1600m start. As you stand on the Finish Line, the 1600m start line curves away from you. There is another curve line at the beginning of a straightaway that is the 800m "crossover" line. Don't get them mixed up.

Stand in the fourth lane at the Finish Line and start walking forward. The second mark you come to is the start of the 400 meter race (the first one is the start of the 800). The distance from the Finish Line to the 400 start line is your extra distance. If you're doing repeats or whatnot, simply start at the 400 start line and hit your watch at the Finish Line. If you're doing longer repeats -- well, you'll just have to guess.
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Re: track/math question [mr. mike] [ In reply to ]
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Maybe I don't understand the question, but aren't the start lines staggered so as to accommodate the increasing radius of the curves? Otherwise, it wouldn't really be a fair race, would it?
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Re: track/math question [mr. mike] [ In reply to ]
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ever watched a 400m race?

Notice how they stagger the start. if you start at the stagger line in the 4th lane, and run to the finish line, that is 400m. If you measure the distance from the finish line to the start line, that is the extra distance on top of each 400m for each lap.

they are usually blue marks on most tracks that i have been on before, but may be different.

just takes a little math :D

good luck,



-kevin



p.s. its probably about 20m different for lane 4




"Anyone can work hard when they want to; Champions do it when they don't."
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Re: track/math question [mr. mike] [ In reply to ]
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An old track rule of thumb is that each lane is about 6m longer than the one inside it. 400, 406, 412, 418, etc.

Of course, these rules of thumb also include the one about left footed runners having an advantage on the track...

"What's good for me ain't necessarily good for the weak-minded."
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Re: track/math question [goditshothere] [ In reply to ]
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I wasn't racing anyone other than my watch (and it won), so I started and ended at the same place on the track.

I was running 800's, so finding the 400 stagger line and multiply by 2 sounds likethe easiest answer. Not being a track guy, I didn't recall that the 400 guys had to stay in their lanes all the way around.
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Re: track/math question [mr. mike] [ In reply to ]
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420 meters, assuming normal lane width.

http://www.sciencenews.org/20030809/mathtrek.asp
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