Here are a  few interesting facts and figures about the synthetic running track : It is always said that the track is 400 meters long. This is correct, but it only applies to the inside lane of the track. All other lanes are longer. The outer lane is 40 to 50 meters longer than the inner lane. On lane two, the difference is almost eight meters. With a lane width of 122 cm, the lanes differ by 2 x Pi x 122 cm = 7.67 meters. Therefore, at competitions, the athletes’ starting blocks are placed at different locations so that all runners have exactly 400 meters of track ahead of them.

However, it is not that accurate when it comes to  who starts where in every competition. In the 10,000-meter run, the runners gather for the start freely distributed on all eight lanes. After the start, they then try to quickly reach the inner lane and stay there if possible, because this results in valuable meters gained and therefore time.

Why do people actually run to the left?

It is believed that the origin of this goes back more than 200 years. In England, the first horse races were not held in stadiums, but on country roads. Because of the left-hand traffic in England, it was safer to let the horses run to the left so that they would not collide with oncoming traffic. When there were finally proper horse racing tracks just for sport, people kept with the habit. These tracks were also used by runners in the beginning. Because of this,  running on the left became the norm. This later on became accepted worldwide.

Athletics facilities: Type A, B and C

The construction of outdoor athletics facilities is regulated in DIN 18035-1:2003-02, Part 1 “Sports grounds; outdoor facilities for games and athletics, planning and dimensions”. Among other things, the DIN standard distinguishes between running track types A, B and C. Depending on how the facility is used, it still requires an additional World Athletics Class 1 or Class 2 certificate.

For national and international athletics competitions, a type A competition facility is required. For regional and other major sporting events, type B is sufficient. For all other facilities that are not intended for high-performance sports (for example, for school level sports), type C is sufficient.

To host national and international track and field events, a Type A facility requires World Athletics Class 2 certification. This facility has eight individual running tracks. Its length is at least 176.91 m, and its width is at least 93.08 m. The pitch in the center of the stadium must have an area of 109 x 73 m to meet the football field  standard size of 105 m × 68 m. In addition, Type A has individual running tracks for sprinting, hurdles and steeplechase, facilities for high jump and pole vault, long jump and triple jump, discus and hammer throw, javelin throw and shot put.

For Class 1, the track is tested on site. The criteria are force absorption, vertical deformation, layer thicknesses, slip resistance and lining. For Class 2, a sample of the pavement is tested in the laboratory. However, the linings are also measured on site. The classification into Class 1 and 2 ultimately determines whether national and international competitions may be held or not.

A particularly interesting value for Class 1 is the force absorption. For a WA-certified running track, a benchmark value of 35 to 50% (at a surface temperature between 10° C and 40° C) must be achieved. Force absorption defines the ability of a sports floor to reduce the impact force of a body falling on the surface. For concrete floors, the value is 0%, because the full force of the impact must be absorbed by the athlete.

Synthetic running tracks

In the past, the tracks were made of red ashes (or clay?). The first athletics tracks made of synthetic material only came later. These are traditionally also called tartan tracks. The first synthetic running track was installed in 1968 in the Letzigrund stadium in Zurich. Conica is one of the pioneers when it comes to synthetic tracks and has equipped plenty of renowned stadiums around the world.

The indoor running tracks are half as short as the outdoor ones and measure only 200 meters. A sprint competition over 100 meters is therefore not possible indoors. Indoor sprints are usually held over 60 meters. Due to the shortness of the track, the long running distances are also adapted indoors. Likewise, the throwing competitions are only held there to a very limited extent.

About Conica:

Conica has been developing and manufacturing innovative seamless flooring solutions based on polyurethane and epoxy resins for sports, games, leisure as well as other areas for over 40 years. Conica is one of the world’s market leaders and innovation drivers in this field. The user-oriented requirements for technical and sports functional performance as well as usability while guaranteeing health aspects of the material itself and for the user are the focus of product development. Conica is part of the Serafin group of companies based in Munich.