Sprint
July 27th, 2008
General widespread distances are:
- 60 m
The 60 metres is usually run indoors, on a straight section of an indoor athletic track. Since races at this distance can last around six or seven seconds, having good reflexes and thus getting off to a quick start is more vital in this race than any other. This is roughly the distance required for a human to reach maximum speed and can be run with one breath. It is common for training and testing in other sports (e.g. speed testing for American football, although 40 yards is more common there). The World record in this event is held by American sprinter Maurice Greene with a time of 6.39 seconds. 60 metres is used as an outdoor distance by younger athletes when starting in sprint.
- 100 m
The 100 metres sprint occurs on one length of the home straight of a standard outdoor 400 m track. Often, the world-record holder in this race is considered "the world's fastest man/woman". The current world record of 9.72 seconds is held by Usain Bolt of Jamaica and was set on May 31, 2008 at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York. The women's world record is 10.49 seconds held by Florence Griffith-Joyner. The 4x100 m relay is another prestigious event, with an average speed that is quicker than the 100 m, as the runners can start moving before they receive the baton.
- 200 m
This takes place on the curve of a standard track, where the runners are staggered in their starting position, to ensure they all run the same distance, and ends on the home straight. The skill to "run a good bend" is key at this distance, as a well conditioned runner will be able to run 200 metres in an average speed higher than his 100 m speed. This race is run indoors, as one lap of the track, with only slightly slower times than outdoors. Four-person relays are occasionally run at this event. A slightly shorter race (but run on a straight track), the stadion, was the first recorded event at the Ancient Olympics and the oldest known formal sports event in history. The World record in this event is 19.32 seconds, held by Michael Johnson. This is the world record with the fastest average speed (it is equivalent to two 9.66 seconds 100 m).
- 400 m
400 metres running race is one lap around the track on the inside lane. Runners are staggered in their starting positions to make sure that everyone runs the same distance. While this event is a sprint, there is more opportunity to use tactics in the race; the fact that 400 m times are considerably more than four times a typical 100 m time demonstrates this. The World record is currently held by Michael Johnson, with a time of 43.18 seconds. The 4x400 m relay is often held at track and field meetings, and is by tradition the final event at major championships. Common tactics include exploding out of the blocks and continuing to run hard through the curve. Then, the runner transits to a more "relaxed sprint" on the 1st straightaway. Once the second curve is reached, he/she starts to accelerate more, sending the body through the last 100.
Most athletes will not be able to compete absolutely in one sprint event. Reasons for this could be pragmatic: only being willing to race over one distance might not earn an athlete enough prize money or media exposure, which can lead to more money, to survive on. Where this doesn't apply, such as for more high-profile (i.e. rich) runners, an athlete may feel that running over two events is more enjoyable and varied, and gives them a better chance of success.
The indoor season is often not run by particular high-profile athletes, who may not like the atmosphere, different distances or extra corners involved. Again, some will have to run in this season in order to make a living. While certain athletes will be strictly 100 m runners, and will run greater distances only for fun or money, many will compete in multiple events. Frankie Fredericks was successful over 100 m and 200 m (and ran the 60 m and/or 200 m in the indoor season). Michael Johnson won gold medals over 200 m and 400 m in the 1996 Olympics, and also in the 4 x 400 m relay. Runners can do well in relays when they are competitive in the individual event. There have been a few runners who have competed successfully at both the longer sprints and middle-distance events. Alberto Juantorena won both the 400 m and 800 m at the 1976 Summer Olympics, making him the only athlete ever to succeed such a double.
It is interesting:
- Sometimes 100 m and 400 m runners have competed in the hurdles events at the same distances, and there is a specific amount of interchangeability between the flat and hurdle events. The 400 m Hurdles are an Olympic athletics discipline. On a standard outdoor track 400 meters is the length of the inside lane once around the stadium. Runners stay in their lane the entire way after starting out of the blocks and must clear ten hurdles that are evenly, for each lane, spaced around the track. The hurdles are positioned so that they fall forward if bumped into to prevent injury to the runners. Although fallen hurdles don't count against them, runners like to clear them clean, as touching them during the race slows runners down. The best male athletes can run the 400 m Hurdles in a time of around 47 seconds (WR: 46.78 seconds), which is the equivalent of 8.51 meters per second or 30.63 kilometers per hour. The best female athletes achieve a time of around 53 seconds (WR: 52.34 seconds), or 7.54 meters per second and 27.16 kilometers per hour. Compared to the 400 Meters the hurdles race takes the men about 3 seconds longer and the women 4 seconds longer. The 400 m Hurdles have been an Olympic discipline since 1900 and 1984 for men and women, correspondingly.
- Some biological factors that determine a sprinter's potential are: Muscular strength, adrenaline use, anaerobic respiration capacity.
- A 90 m beach sprint is held in surf lifesaving carnivals in Australia.
- The term sprinting can be applied in any racing sport, for example swimming.
© Azrefa Aziz
© Getty Images
© Bryan Cummings
