How to mark a realistic 400 meter track on grass

+1 on the grass track. That sounds cool.

You can download a pdf of the the IAAF Marking Plan for 400m Standard Track on this page-

https://www.iaaf.org/about-iaaf/documents/technical

It gives you a lot of the measurements you will need.

grass man wrote:

Pretend you have an accurate measuring wheel and a large open field of grass. Your goal is to lay out a 400 meter grass track using orange cones.

What is the most efficient way to create a grass track that resembles the shape and dimensions of a high school track? Specifically looking for internal dimensions such as the distance in between lane 1 back stretch and lane 1 front stretch, distance from the middle of the top curvature and bottom curvature and anything else you think is important.

I created a grass track on practice football fields with a measuring wheel and cones. 100m straight away, then 10 cones 10m apart each forming an arching turn. Very simple and not accurate to the meter, but good for quick setup and in cases where you can't lay permanent lines (football).

grass man wrote:

Pretend you have an accurate measuring wheel and a large open field of grass. Your goal is to lay out a 400 meter grass track using orange cones.

What is the most efficient way to create a grass track that resembles the shape and dimensions of a high school track? Specifically looking for internal dimensions such as the distance in between lane 1 back stretch and lane 1 front stretch, distance from the middle of the top curvature and bottom curvature and anything else you think is important.

Why?

Is it for training purpose, a one off? A math exercise? A bet?

400 tracks need a lot of space. If its for training, you can do a lot with a 300 track. Less ground needed, and you can do 2 X 100 m full turns and 50 straights. Its good enough for sprinters, great for distance guys and gets terrific turn practice.

diagram link wrote:

+1 on the grass track. That sounds cool.

You can download a pdf of the the IAAF Marking Plan for 400m Standard Track on this page-

https://www.iaaf.org/about-iaaf/documents/technical

It gives you a lot of the measurements you will need.

I would do it this way. Start at point M1 on the pdf above. M1 is the center of the semicircle that makes the curve at one end of the track. Measure a string 36.5m long and trace out this semicircle. That's one curve. Mark it with cones.

Go 100 yards down from the center of this semicircle. Make another 36.5m semicircle. That's your other curve. Mark this with cones.

If you like, you can mark the straights with more cones.

Bingo, the guy above me is right. However, if you just have the wheel and no long rope, you can just start from the center of the circle and walk the 36m away, and drop a cone. Do this enough times (using the wheel) and you'll see the curve form.

Get a big sheet of paper and trace an actual track. Take your pattern to a soccer field, lay it down and mark it with stakes. Discard the paper.

Your welcome.

If I understand you correctly you are a little off. If you plan on using a radius = 36.5m, then it is 84.39 m between radii points - not 100 yards

okeydokieslowpokie wrote:

Why?

Is it for training purpose, a one off? A math exercise? A bet?

Because 1) I don't have access to a real track while I have a lot of access to open grass fields and 2) I try to avoid running on pavement these days (not what I used to be)

D.Katz wrote:

If I understand you correctly you are a little off. If you plan on using a radius = 36.5m, then it is 84.39 m between radii points - not 100 yards

So to start off with it would be best to lay out an 84.39m x 73m rectangle and then add the curves?

grass man wrote:

okeydokieslowpokie wrote:

Why?

Is it for training purpose, a one off? A math exercise? A bet?

Because 1) I don't have access to a real track while I have a lot of access to open grass fields and 2) I try to avoid running on pavement these days (not what I used to be)

What are you going to race on?

Garmin has a .25 mile split.

My middle school had the track set up in grass and used round-up to keep the lanes marked.

diagram link wrote:

+1 on the grass track. That sounds cool.

You can download a pdf of the the IAAF Marking Plan for 400m Standard Track on this page-

https://www.iaaf.org/about-iaaf/documents/technical

It gives you a lot of the measurements you will need.

not a moran

/thread

D.Katz wrote:

If I understand you correctly you are a little off. If you plan on using a radius = 36.5m, then it is 84.39 m between radii points - not 100 yards

Oops, I was wrong. The straights would be 84.39m as D.Katz says.

Actually if really want to be accurate then the radius should be 36.6m.

Tracks with a radius of 36.5 have curbs and the running line is measured 30 cm out (36.8m). Tracks with cones instead of cones are measured 20cm out and therefore need a radius to the outside edge of the cones = 36.6m.

Have fun!

Be patient wrote:

Garmin has a .25 mile split.

My middle school had the track set up in grass and used round-up to keep the lanes marked.

Luckily most of us know that GPS only has a +/- 15m/s margin of error so you shouldn't be using GPS to measure track lengths. Plus any trees in the way (think from the sky to the ground) could obfuscate the results.

Wheel - OKAY

Jones Counter - fantastic

Ropes - a lot of setup but also good.

I wouldn't use the bike method (Jones Counter) for a few reasons: 1. you would need to set up a calibration course on the grass. 2. It will be difficult to ride the turns.

The wheel is an option if you calibrate it on the grass.

Ropes?

I could measure this with a steel tape in about an hour.