Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Is It Impossible to Perfectly Mark a Running Track?

First off, running tracks have only 2 turns!  Of those who answered the quiz on the left sidebar, only one person knew that.  The NASCAR influence must be high among track enthusiasts (or at least those who bother to answer ridiculous polls on obscure web sites!)

In trying to solidify the fact that tracks have only 2 turns (I didn't, of course. Why start now?), I came across this obsessive web site documenting how to precisely mark a running track.  The author studied nearly 200 tracks in California and states that not one of them was marked 100% correctly.  With Franklin Field's inside 3 lanes shorter than 400M, an extra wrinkle is introduced!

In reading through the seeming small novel,  I can understand how impossible it is to do.  There are so many variables that it is very easy to slip up literally hundreds of times and still have a functioning track. I spotted many on the high school track after just skimming a portion of the article.

AND  It's Penn Relays Week with PSU's excellent multi-eventers gunning for a watch.

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