Has there ever been actual evidence found of a short track?

I awoke from uneasy dreams one morning to discover that my local track had been transformed 20 meters short.

the stanford track also gets rumoured

Considering anybody can now buy a laser measuring device accurate to 0.1 mm, I'd say no. Take one to your track, and you can measure a track in 10 minutes. 2 minutes with 4 people.

It makes for great conspiracy theories though.

ehyo wrote: the stanford track also gets rumoured

It is no rumor buddy. I am the groundskeeper at Stanford and I personally shortened the track by 6 meters before Solinsky's pr.

WHERE ARE THEY?!?! TELL ME NOW!!! DON'T HOLD BACK, MAN!! I NEED THE LIST!!

Years ago, yeah, occasionally there would be one. But like...20 or 30 years ago. Not now.

Stanford has been wheeled short from what I hear. *a foot off the turn.

Not exactly on topic, but where exactly would one measure a track to prove it is 400 meters? Can't recall exact distance, but I think I read once that the 400 meter distance is measured along an oval half a body width from the inner edge of lane one.

graffsch wrote:

Stanford has been wheeled short from what I hear. *a foot off the turn.

Well there we have it, definitive proof.

Groundskeeper wrote:

It is no rumor buddy. I am the groundskeeper at Stanford and I personally shortened the track by 6 meters before Solinsky's pr.

I hear it's also downhill with a prevailing tailwind.

In all honesty, though, each year I see the 10,000m times recorded on Stanford's track, the thought of a short track crosses my mind. I imagine the discovery of a short track by a curious fan with his little measuring wheel in the middle of the night, an email to the Stanford athletics director regarding the discovery, the mysterious disappearance of the fan . . . . At this point, who would want to know the truth? Who could handle the truth???

Wasn't Eastern Michigan's Indoor track short? I thought that came out a few years ago

Hate to break it to you, but any half-decent facility gets a wee but more checking than some schmuck with a wheel. The USATF rule manual refers to the IAAF technical manual for facilities, which gets pretty detailed about this. A sample:

"2.2.1.4 Dimensional Accuracy of the 400m Standard Track

The dimensional accuracy required for all classes of competition is deemed fulfilled if the following set values are attained in the “28 point control measurement” (Figure 2.2.1.4a) on the outside edge of the inner track border:

-84.390m ± 0.005m for each of the two straights (2 readings)

-36.500m ± 0.005m for 12 points per semicircle (including kerb) on the arc of the circle approximately 10.42m apart (24 readings)

-Alignment of the kerb in the area of the two straights: no deviations greater than 0.01m (2 readings). Ideally, the length of the kerb in the straight and the length of the outer lane measured along the outside edge of the lane should be equal.

The 28 point control measurement should be carried out and the readings recorded. The average of the deviations must not exceed + 0.040m nor be less than 0.000m (Table 2.2.1.4)."

And a section just before that:

"When using tapes, the following points must be observed:

1. Standard steel measuring tapes only, with temperature equalisation table.

2. Immediately before and after measuring (position measuring tape with 50 N tensile load for 30m tapes and 100 N for 50m and 100m tapes) read temperature of measuring tape using a contact thermometer.*

3. Correct reading based on the temperature of the measuring tape and the temperature equalisation table.

4. In the absence of a temperature equalisation table: Calculate the change in length of the measuring tape caused by temperature using a reference temperature of 20°C as follows:

Temperature of the measuring tape in degrees Celsius of the deviation from 20°C x length of the measuring distance in m x 0.0115mm. 5. If the temperature of the measuring tape is more than 20°C, subtract the change in length of the measuring tape calculated from the reading or alternatively add it on if the temperature is under 20°C."

So I'm sure after adjusting measurements to account for the expansion of a steel measuring tape, they will be most impressed by the numbers some guy wheels off.

Oh, and the official rules on where you measure the distance: (from page 68 of the USATF manual): "All distances run or walked shall be determined on the basis of a hypothetical line 30cm outward from the inner edge of the track, except that for races upon straightaways, the distance shall be measured in a raised direct line from the starting mark to the finish line."

I'm sure every high school and college in the country followed those rules to the letter when they had their tracks installed.

I don't know much about the certifications and such required by athletic governing bodies. Are you all really telling me that a track doesn't have to be measured and certified by any governing body before it can be used for competition? You just build a track, declare that it is 400 meters long, and USATF, the NCAA, and the state high school athletic governing body all just say "alright then. We believe you."? I find this hard to believe.

Bear of Bad News wrote:

I don't know much about the certifications and such required by athletic governing bodies. Are you all really telling me that a track doesn't have to be measured and certified by any governing body before it can be used for competition? You just build a track, declare that it is 400 meters long, and USATF, the NCAA, and the state high school athletic governing body all just say "alright then. We believe you."? I find this hard to believe.

If they don't have to be certified I am saving up for my very own 375 meter track, 10k record here I come.

Off the Grid wrote:

Considering anybody can now buy a laser measuring device accurate to 0.1 mm, I'd say no. Take one to your track, and you can measure a track in 10 minutes. 2 minutes with 4 people.

How exactly do you measure the turns in 2 minutes?

Bad news Boys. Take a look at this guys travels around the state of California checking tracks at local High Schools and colleges. Follow some of his links. You will most likely be surprised at how haphazardly tracks are measured, marked and maintained.

http://www.trackinfo.org/marks.html

Every high school and college, no. Any college with big name meets, yes. There aren't that many companies that build tracks, those specifications are pretty routine assuming that's all you do. I know the division 3 school I brifly coached at looked at 2 final bids for their track renovation, both bids had money in them for measurement and certification. I'm sure a place like Stanford would try save a few thousand and skip that...

'nother data point wrote:

Bad news Boys. Take a look at this guys travels around the state of California checking tracks at local High Schools and colleges. Follow some of his links. You will most likely be surprised at how haphazardly tracks are measured, marked and maintained.

http://www.trackinfo.org/marks.html

He outed Cal-Northridge and f#cking dirt track.