I have no clue and it seems to be an odd distance
I have no clue and it seems to be an odd distance
The metric system has not penetrated that far into the country yet. Give it another few years.
Many indoor tracks were 150 yards, so that became a simple 4 lap mid-distance race.
pre841 wrote:
Many indoor tracks were 150 yards, so that became a simple 4 lap mid-distance race.
thats a good answer
The 600 yard distance goes back to the 1960s when they had that "Presidential Fitness Test" mandated to all schools. Everyone had to run the 600 in PE class, along with several other activities or events. If I recollect correct, there was a 50 yard dash, a shuttle run, pull-ups, sit-ups and maybe one or two more. They had some scoring system with each event and you were supposed to achieve a certain fitness level. They did it in the fall, then again in the spring.
For many years, every school kid in the country had a time for 600 yards. The event just sort of carried over and still exists today.
Yeah I know they run this distance at a lot of meets all over the country. It is a hold over from the old days when tracks were in yards (many indoor ones still are). Its actually kind of a fun event for 400 and 800 guys its like a really painful 400 that seems to go on too long.
It was also a national champ event for TAC and AAU. And was an NCAA event for many years. Standard indoor distance back when indoor track actually had a purpose. Old timers will never forget the Lee Evans/Martin McGrady duals on those old 160yd tracks. classic.
I am originally from Virginia, and we ran the 600 yards frequently also. I was the school record holder in the event when I graduated, not that it means much. I always liked it because it was just a little too long for the sprinters and an 800 guy like me could do well. Also, a runner could easily double by running the 600 and something else.
The standard indoor distances used to be:
Dash (whatever fit on the straightaway)
600 yards
1000 yards
1 mile
2 mile
4 x 440 yards
4 x 880 yards
That was pre-metrification.
Some of the distances in track are pretty arbitrary. On the east coast you see some 600m races, go up a level to the NCAA and you will find your 600y in the midwest.
I guess its interesting, still a bit odd though.
Did they run the 440 and 880 indoors back in the day?
dw wrote:
Some of the distances in track are pretty arbitrary. On the east coast you see some 600m races, go up a level to the NCAA and you will find your 600y in the midwest.
I guess its interesting, still a bit odd though.
Did they run the 440 and 880 indoors back in the day?
No.... see list above
Love that 1000y. Too long for the speed guys, a little too short for the long guys.
loosetree wrote:
The standard indoor distances used to be:
Dash (whatever fit on the straightaway)
600 yards
1000 yards
1 mile
2 mile
4 x 440 yards
4 x 880 yards
That was pre-metrification.
Could have been one standard format. My era running yards indoors we also had the 60y HHS and the 300y. Also recall some 4 x 220y.
1000y was my favorite distance as well.
The 600 yard is a great race too. I loved running that against faster 440 guys who wouldn't have the guts to kick at the 440 or wouldn't have the guts to go out like a 440 because it's longer. I started running it in 7th grade.
600y is a great distance. Long enough that the 400m guys will tie up and die, short enough that the 800/1500 guys don't have the wheels to compete. In my races, it was always a matchup between 800m runners working their speed and 400h runners working their strength. Great matchup, 400h guys usually won out.
I started running in 1975, and by then we were running 880y, 1 mile, 2 miles, but in my brother's day (1971-74), they had the JV runners run 660y and 1320y instead of the 880y and mile.
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