Why Do Athletes Run Around The Track Anti-Clockwise?

Bill Nye the science dude wrote:

Clear view wrote:

I think a bigger question is why do clocks move in a clockwise direction?

Yes. I like this answer.

An even deeper thought relates to the ancient Olympics and the direction they ran around the track.

They could not have run anti-clockwise before clocks were invented.

These are not very mysterious actually.

1) Clocks were invented WAY before the ancient Games began. See - Sun Dial

2) Clocks move in a clockwise direction because the first clocks moved in a clockwise direction. See - Sun Dial

3) The Greeks ran in a counter-clockwise direction for the obvious reason that they were racing against the clock.

Bad Wigins wrote:

Because of the Coriolis effect. Just as hurricanes go counter-clockwise in the northern hemisphere, and water goes down the drain counter-clockwise, so when people run they tend to turn left. So they made the tracks go left.

In the southern hemisphere, it would be better to turn right. But there is more northern hemisphere than southern hemisphere so the standard is based on the northern hemisphere.

They could change to clockwise in the south, but then they'd have to dig up all the left-turning tracks and replace them with right-turning tracks which would be prohibitively expensive. Are you gonna pay for all that, then quit complaining.

Good answer.

Surprised that someone who could not even understand continuity could put this together but credit where credit is due.

BUT CLOCKS WEREN'T INVENTED YET

adsfadsf wrote:

BUT CLOCKS WEREN'T INVENTED YET

YES, THEY WERE.

Recognizer of Good Answer wrote:

Surprised that someone who could not even understand continuity could put this together

You are also surprised by functions on non-real domains.

Bad Wigins wrote:

Recognizer of Good Answer wrote:

Surprised that someone who could not even understand continuity could put this together

You are also surprised by functions on non-real domains.

No, my little friend. No.

Care to try again?

ok, you are deeply offended by functions on non-real domains, and have carried a bitter grudge until this day.

but don't ruin a good thread for the sake of revenge.

It is a binary choice and once made it makes sense to be standard.

Bill Nye the science dude wrote:

[quote]Clear view wrote:

They could not have run anti-clockwise before clocks were invented.

What about sun dials?

Bad Wigins wrote:

ok, you are deeply offended by functions on non-real domains, and have carried a bitter grudge until this day.

but don't ruin a good thread for the sake of revenge.

That was your try?

Seriously?

Please do not post any more. It is just embarrassing.

ummm. ever heard of "against the clock" it is too obvious

A related question is whether people with right leg slightly longer are at an advantage going round the bends.

Scientists measured the dimensions of the limbs of ancient Greek Athlete sculptures and concluded that in the original OG's they must have run clockwise and so we need to change direction.

This was a very convincing April Fools article in Athletics Weekly many years ago.

Out of respect for people of both hemispheres, I think that track meets should stage alternating running events (which involve the curves) in opposite directions. For example, run the 5K counter-clockwise and the 10K clockwise. It might cut down a little on the number of double champions like Farah who would be vulnerable to the clockwise specialists.

If two runners start at the same time - one running clockwise and one running anti-clockwise - when they meet they will cause a black hole like matter meeting antimatter.

That should give you your answer.

Because runners are always going against the clock

Originally races were run in the direction determined by the meet co-ordinator, so there was no real standard (clockwise, anti-clockwise). But with the advent of the wristwatch, which people typically wore on their left wrists, races which were being run clockwise saw runners veer into the outer lanes as they checked their splits. When the accidents become too many to accept, the race co-ordinators just started running all the races anti-clockwise out of concern for the runners. Sometimes problems are over-thought and the answers are very basic.

It's not about the runners, it's about the spectators and for the spectators:

The way it is now spectators get to see runners come from the left and go to the right, the same way we in the Western culture read books, newspapers, SMSs and whatnots.

Can we all settle on future "figure 8" tracks to satisfy everyone? We'll have congress vote on it. I think liberals and conservatives would all be happy with this approach.