Should I expect to run significantly faster on a banked indoor track as opposed to a flat one? If it makes any difference, I am a taller runner.
Should I expect to run significantly faster on a banked indoor track as opposed to a flat one? If it makes any difference, I am a taller runner.
only if you run 200 or 400m races on it
in those cases you start high up on the bank & have somewhere between ?3 - 5m downhill initially
races of 800m & above start on the middle of stretch which is level - no advantage banked or unbanked
ventolin - What about centripetal/centrifugal forces? I know it certainly feels harder to turn on an unbanked track
you've got to expend some energy thru "rising up the bank" on a turn which you woudn't on an unbanked ( rotational forces are same as tracks have same radius on both types )
you may well feel more comfortable running turns on a banked track, but you will probably run slower overall ( any distance of 800m or above starting/finishing on level ) !
if you start any race high up on a bank, you will be quicker than on an unbanked track because you are starting from a height
physics will give advantage as ~
t = (T * d^2) / ( d^2 - (2ghT))
where d is race distance, t is theoretical time on unbanked track in lane & T is actual time run on the banked track starting high up on bank
e.g.
if you run 200m on a banked track in 21.00s starting 3m up on a bank, your equivalent unbanked time woud be
~ (21.00 * 200^2) / ( 200^2 - (2*9.81*3*21.00)) = 21.67s
interestingly, in theory, even if you run a distance race starting high up on a bank & finishing on the level, you still will gain a small advantage :
if you ran 5000m on a banked track, again starting 3m up & finishing on the level, if you finished in 13'00.00, your unbanked equivalent woud be
~ (780 * 5000^2) / ( 5000^2 - (2*9.81*3*780)) = 13'01.44
Not a single indoor running track in the world has 3m banks. Maybe 3-5 ft = 1-1.6m. 5ft is pushing it. Maybe you are thinking of a bicycle velodrome. Better recalculate.