I've never seen this meet before. Why is there a pipe running down the middle of the track? Is it not a regulation 400 meter?
I've never seen this meet before. Why is there a pipe running down the middle of the track? Is it not a regulation 400 meter?
It is a unique configuration. those lanes inside the rail are shorter than 400m around. so in a 4x4 or longer race teams actually break "outward" on the backstretch.
I'm watching the live feed and it looks like they're running in lane five the whole time.
So what are lanes 1-4 used for if they're less than 400m?
Lanes 1-4 have a reverse stagger (e.g. you start behind where the nominal 200m mark is for the 200m.)
They don't use lanes 1-4 during the 4x400 trials (what is going on right now) - too many teams in each trial. They will use all the lanes in 4x100 and 4x200 trials. For the championship 4x400's and for special heats (i.e. Heps heat) they will use lanes and the visually confusing "cut-out" on the back straightaway.
The track really only has 5 lanes and lanes cannot be added on the outside because of the brick walls and the seating that goes right to the edge of the track.
To accomodate more teams on the sprint relays they added 4 lanes on the inside and staggered backwards.
The craziest is the 3 turn stagger for the main 4X400s.
After they clear the backstretch the first time a team of people rush out to angle the rail from lane 1 to lane 5 (the real lane 1) on the backstretch so that the inside lane second legs fade to the right and the oustide lane second legs fade to the left on their backstretch run.
The 3rd and 4th legs all run the whole way in lane 5 (the real lane 1).