History of Running Track

This article is about the history of running track. Track and field is one of the earliest forms of athletics. It is possible to trace the history of running track back to ancient times and the earliest Olympic events. The first Olympic games in 776 bc had only one event. The lone event, called the stade because it consisted of running the length of the stadium, was a six hundred foot sprint.

An important turn in the history of running track occurred in the late 1970’s when the official distance units of measurement where changed to the metric system. Until then, Americans had insisted on using measurements such as yards and feet.

In the history of running track it is not clear why so many activities fall under the single heading. Track and field includes not just running events but also throwing and jumping. There are also combined events that give an athlete the opportunity to test all three areas at in one competition, like a decathlon­.

The steeplechase is one of the more interesting events in the history of running track. Much like a less formal obstacle course, various barriers and hazards must be avoided by a runner. There are many ways of dealing with the obstacles but a point of interest is in maintaining a steady stride while doing so. The various jumps can throw a runner off balance, and if handled poorly, can cause injury.

One of the most important races in an athletics competition is frequently the hundred-meter dash. Most of the best times for this race are right around ten seconds. The fastest woman on record was slightly over ten seconds and the fastest man was just a bit under. In the history of running track the hundred-meter dash stands out from other races and many competitors focus only on running this distance...