Why Do Athletes Run Around The Track Anti-Clockwise?

I was only half paying attention to it but the idea was that it has something to do with the asymmetric position of the heart. I don't recall if they were talking about weight distribution or something else.

Because of the Coriolis effect. Just as hurricanes go counter-clockwise in the northern hemisphere, and water goes down the drain counter-clockwise, so when people run they tend to turn left. So they made the tracks go left.

In the southern hemisphere, it would be better to turn right. But there is more northern hemisphere than southern hemisphere so the standard is based on the northern hemisphere.

They could change to clockwise in the south, but then they'd have to dig up all the left-turning tracks and replace them with right-turning tracks which would be prohibitively expensive. Are you gonna pay for all that, then quit complaining.

From the Devil's view its perfectly normal.

My training partner is almost 40 and he insists on running around the track clockwise every other workout. We also have to use the outside lane and we rely on his Garmin for our mile splits (even though we are on a track). It is annoying, but he claims that it is better for his legs or something.

Because it is the way of all races

My apologies for posting a response that is hardly related to the thread. Whoops.

The obvious answer is that it makes it easier for timing

Bad Wigins wrote:

there is more northern hemisphere than southern hemisphere so the standard is based on the northern hemisphere.

Good to see the scholars of Letsrun push the boundaries of math and science once again

the constitutional peasant wrote:

Good to see the scholars of Letsrun push the boundaries of math and science once again

It was poorly worded, but Bad's point is clear. Most of the earth's land and 90% of its population (Wiki) are in the Northern Hemisphere.

Or we could just repaint the surface going the other direction...

In "The Way We Were," which is set in the 1930s (at the start), Redford is in a track race running clockwise.

In many parts of the World, horse racing is conducted in clockwise fashion.

This can be a challenge when an American horse travels overseas and has to run clockwise for the first time in their life ( it is not allowed for horses to gallop the wrong way on an American racetrack for safety reasons).

Here is American star Val's Prince contesting a big race in Hong Kong. Note how he is prominent early until he suddenly realizes he is going the wrong way.

His stretch run is Wottlesque once he straightens out.

You don't have to be a racing fan to appreciate this performance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrC-W9GgWls

In English. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYN_PCX3Bco

Libtards

Obvious Answer wrote:

Libtards

Or maybe Obama

Octa wrote:

Is this true?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq_CNaSFv9o

Counterclockwise running became the choice of men because most are right-handed and right-footed. As children begin to kick balls, which occurs quite early in life -- legs are stronger than arms, and hands are small, making it harder to throw balls used by adults -- most use a dominant right leg, which then becomes stronger and with longer bones.

Consciously or not, you want the longer leg to be on the outside on turns.

Watch 100 meter sprints. Sprinters who veer in their lanes mostly veer to the left because they fail to make minor adjustments in their stride to make up for a shorter and weaker left leg.

It does seem a little anti-intuitive.

Anti M wrote:

It does seem a little anti-intuitive.

Right now we are looking for multilingual antispies.

Bad Wigins wrote:

They could change to clockwise in the south, but then they'd have to dig up all the left-turning tracks and replace them with right-turning tracks which would be prohibitively expensive. Are you gonna pay for all that, then quit complaining.

I know this was a joke. I hope this was a joke.

Pretty funny.