200m track markings. Is there a good site that explains it?

Go to:

http://www.iaaf.org/about-iaaf/documents/technical#manuals-guidelines

Scroll down and click on the following:

IAAF Track and Field Facilities Manual 2008 Edition - Marking Plan 400m Standard Track

This includes all of the standard international markings.

Are you asking where does the 200m start or do you specifically need an aerial view of a track showing the marks?

On any 400m track, find the finish line. Look diagonally across the track. You'll see a line marked 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. Those are the 200m start lines. They are frequently marked 200m with an 800m mark just above it, meaning that's the starting lanes of the 200m and 800m runs.

For an aerial view, find your local track on Google maps. The numbers should be barely readable on Google maps aerial view.

fisky wrote:

Are you asking where does the 200m start or do you specifically need an aerial view of a track showing the marks?

On any 400m track, find the finish line. Look diagonally across the track. You'll see a line marked 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. Those are the 200m start lines. They are frequently marked 200m with an 800m mark just above it, meaning that's the starting lanes of the 200m and 800m runs.

For an aerial view, find your local track on Google maps. The numbers should be barely readable on Google maps aerial view.

Oops, in a rush, I messed up. The 200m lanes diagonally across from the finish are only marked 200m. On at least one track I frequent, Lane 2 at the start finish line is marked 800m and 200m. The 800m starts there. I guess that track sometimes runs the 200m to finish on the back stretch. If that confuses you, just ignore my previous remarks about 800m starts.

fisky wrote:

They are frequently marked 200m with an 800m mark just above it, meaning that's the starting lanes of the 200m and 800m runs.

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On IAAF standard 400m's, the 800 stagger is not the same as the 200m stagger because the 800 involves the break to the rail after the turn. The stagger is a little bit farther the further out the lanes go. In lane 8 it's about 13cm more IIRC.

Bad Wigins wrote:

fisky wrote:

They are frequently marked 200m with an 800m mark just above it, meaning that's the starting lanes of the 200m and 800m runs.

]

On IAAF standard 400m's, the 800 stagger is not the same as the 200m stagger because the 800 involves the break to the rail after the turn. The stagger is a little bit farther the further out the lanes go. In lane 8 it's about 13cm more IIRC.

Good to know... thanks...

Are you guys trying to be confusing. At the start you would not call it a 200m stagger. you have the 1 turn stagger for 800m. Next from the finish is the two turn stagger for the 400m. Some tracks have a 3 turn stagger for 1600m relays.

For old cinder tracks I like to mark the 200s at the center of the turn, often using the goal post to make sure I'm correct.

Another thing you can do is go from the 400m stagger to the 200m stagger.

D.Katz wrote:

Go to:

http://www.iaaf.org/about-iaaf/documents/technical#manuals-guidelines

Scroll down and click on the following:

IAAF Track and Field Facilities Manual 2008 Edition - Marking Plan 400m Standard Track

This includes all of the standard international markings.

Google maps satellite view of Icahn in NY fiddle about and you can zoom in to the lower left corner of the track you can also do this with a track in your area

!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x89c24fa5d33f083b:0xc80b8f06e177fe62

swear my track is marked wrong. The numbered "start" lines on the other side are way back from where the turn starts. I did 200s and it seemed long. The hatches one ahead of the "numbered" lines seem right.

World class tracks have the common start/finish line exactly on the tangent of the turn. Therefore the 200m start would be on the diagonally opposite tangent.

Many of the older high school tracks have the common start/finish back further on the straight which of course would shift the 200m start back on the back straight.

When I ran in high school in the Cenozoic days, the common start/finish was aligned with the 50 yard line of the football field and many tracks also had a 220 straight! I think Tommie Smith ran a 19.5 on one of those.