They were 500 meters once, during the primitive days of track. It's because of 500 meter tracks that goofball events like 1500 and 3000 are even run.
500 meter tracks had 150 meter straights and 100 meter turns.
A better question is, why is the 1500 still run, instead of 1600. 400 meter tracks are the standard, and 4 times around the track is much closer to the traditional mile than 1500 is. 1500 is the only event involving 3/4 of a lap.
Bad Wigins wrote:
A better question is, why is the 1500 still run, instead of 1600. 400 meter tracks are the standard, and 4 times around the track is much closer to the traditional mile than 1500 is. 1500 is the only event involving 3/4 of a lap.
1600? That's almost as bad as the 1500. It should be the MILE.
New Solution: 100 meter tracks.
Thank You very much!
Niquor wrote:
New Solution: 100 meter tracks.
Thank You very much!
Obviously 87 meter tracks are the best:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_mVzJ5M6VgGalen Rupp Number on Fan wrote:
1600? That's almost as bad as the 1500. It should be the MILE.
The mile is for losers who can't run the 800.
And the 1600 is for...?
Other losers who still can't run the 800 but at least have the common sense to go 4 times around the track and not 4.023 times.
Niquor wrote:
New Solution: 100 meter tracks.
Thank You very much!
I prefer the 10k track.
I think I would enjoy the 125, 250, 500, 1000, 1500, 3000, 5000, and 10000 to be at track meets. Let's start a revolution
What if it's a 440y track?
Bad Wigins wrote:
Other losers who still can't run the 800 but at least have the common sense to go 4 times around the track and not 4.023 times.
Good start but here's the real deal:100; 250; 500; 1000; 2500; 5000; 10000
Letsrun Gunner wrote:
I think I would enjoy the 125, 250, 500, 1000, 1500, 3000, 5000, and 10000 to be at track meets. Let's start a revolution
Even better...100, 200, 400, 800, 1Mile, 5k, 10k
Way back in the day the authorities decided a race which is 3 3/4 laps was needed so they suggested 1500m and realized the track needed to be 400m
That's what I was told.
The imperial measurements bounded by the traditional quarter mile track were perfect for determining the various distances of the running races per rational equalized fractioning.
1/8 lap = 1/32 mile (yes, they used to run the 50 and/or 55 yard sprint in outdoor track meets!)
1/4 lap = 1/16 mile
1/2 lap = 1/8 mile
1 lap = 1/4 mile
2 laps = 1/2 mile
4 laps = 1 mile
8 laps = 2 miles
12 laps = 3 miles*
*To be consistent the next distance after the 2 mile should have been 4 mile, which if you think about it would have been the perfect race distance to take the place of both the 3 mile/5k and 6 mile/10k - certainly would have been more palpable for track fans!
It was the French - those bastages who devised that force of darkness known as the metric system - who first tried to conjure up distances in a base 10 system ...... but of course they even screwed that up by going base 5 for some distance events, thus the 500 meter track. I guess the 1000 meter per lap track was too long, and the 100 meter per lap track was too short ...... proof that the metric system is incompatable with the natural law associated with running!
Everything is arbitrary just like every other sport. Why is a football field 100 yards? Why is the field goal as high as it is? Why does the shot weigh as much as it does? Why is a baseball the size that it is? What about a basketball?
They are all archaic guidelines that were agreed upon by a bunch of schmucks decades ago that nobody has really changed since.
Galen Rupp Number on Fan wrote:
What if it's a 440y track?
Then it should be destroyed. It's a relic of a shameful era of non-standardized measurements, and a vestige of the degenerate roman empire.
These could be the new distances after we have to stact from scratch post drug era. Whenever that is-
Galen Rupp Number on Fan wrote:
What if it's a 440y track?
Bad Wigins wrote:
Then it should be destroyed. It's a relic of a shameful era of non-standardized measurements, and a vestige of the degenerate roman empire.
But there were standardized measurements. Learn some history then come back and maybe we can have an enlightened conversation.
Roman Empire?
Bad Wigins wrote:
They were 500 meters once, during the primitive days of track. It's because of 500 meter tracks that goofball events like 1500 and 3000 are even run.
But if you ran a marathon on a 500 meter track and got lapped,
would you still be able to come back and win?
15mph wrote:
I agree and let's not forget the 100 second barrier. Though we did have some interesting 600 meter races this indoor season. A 70 mile per week 800 guy out kicked a speed side 800 guy and a 400 hurdler.
I wouldn't call 100 seconds for 500m much of a barrier.