what size is a standard track?

pam_in_sc said:

I sometimes go run around the track at a nearby university, where the
track team trains. I had been assuming once around was 1/4 mile, but I
suddenly wondered if tracks at universities in the US are now built on
metric dimensions.

Metric tracks are 400m. This is very close to 1/4 mile (1/4 mile = 402.3m)

Quoted message said:

they close the course. I did 4 times around the track this morning in
13 minutes, then realized that might be 2 km instead of a mile.

No, it's no longer than a mile.

With some practice, you'll be much faster than that. Take it slowly, avoiding
injury should be priority.

Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi
http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/

Call the athletic department and ask them.
Or ask one of the local track team members you see training.

Whatever the current standard is, a school may have a different size due to
property constraints, when the track was built, even how much money was
available to build anything at all.

I doubt that many colleges are rebuilding their tracks just because of
metric distances, but they may have markings around the track that will clue
you in.
bj

"pam_in_sc" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I sometimes go run around the track at a nearby university, where the track
team trains. I had been assuming once around was 1/4 mile, but I suddenly
wondered if tracks at universities in the US are now built on metric
dimensions.

Donovan Rebbechi said:

Metric tracks are 400m. This is very close to 1/4 mile (1/4 mile = 402.3m)

Quoted message said:

they close the course. I did 4 times around the track this morning in
13 minutes, then realized that might be 2 km instead of a mile.

No, it's no longer than a mile.

Actually it was the opposite of wishful thinking, I had my conversion
factors mixed up and was thinking 2.2 (the pounds to kilograms
conversion factor). It was only when I read your reply I realized that
didn't make sense as I know 5 k is about 3 miles.

Pam

In article <[email hidden]>,

pam_in_sc said:

Actually it was the opposite of wishful thinking, I had my conversion
factors mixed up and was thinking 2.2 (the pounds to kilograms
conversion factor). It was only when I read your reply I realized that
didn't make sense as I know 5 k is about 3 miles.

Most tracks are now 400m, so 4x400m=1600m < 1609m, which is
approximately a mile. Treating 4 laps as a mile on such a track isn't
the worst idea, but if you want to claim you ran a mile under x minutes,
add the extra 9 meters.

--Harold Buck

"I used to rock and roll all night,
and party every day.
Then it was every other day. . . ."
-Homer J. Simpson

No need to call, just look on the track.

If there are markings of 4x400, 4x100 or a line about 9 yards behind the
start/finish line that says "Mile", then it is a metric track.

I doubt any colleges have "imperial" tracks anymore since the NCAA is
totally metric (well in the track events, they still cannot report distances
properly!)

"bj" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:Adlxd.320$Y57.90@trnddc08...

Quoted message said:

Call the athletic department and ask them.
Or ask one of the local track team members you see training.

Whatever the current standard is, a school may have a different size due
to
property constraints, when the track was built, even how much money was
available to build anything at all.

I doubt that many colleges are rebuilding their tracks just because of
metric distances, but they may have markings around the track that will
clue
you in.
bj

"pam_in_sc" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I sometimes go run around the track at a nearby university, where the
track
team trains. I had been assuming once around was 1/4 mile, but I suddenly
wondered if tracks at universities in the US are now built on metric
dimensions.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Sam said:

No need to call, just look on the track.

If there are markings of 4x400, 4x100 or a line about 9 yards behind the
start/finish line that says "Mile", then it is a metric track.

And if it's a cinder track? :-)

--Harold Buck

"I used to rock and roll all night,
and party every day.
Then it was every other day. . . ."
-Homer J. Simpson

Quoted message said:

And if it's a cinder track? :-)

Just run your best 1/4 mile, and if your time matches your PB, you'll know it's
a 1/4 milers.

"Sam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I doubt any colleges have "imperial" tracks anymore since the NCAA is
totally metric (well in the track events, they still cannot report
distances properly!)

Does this mean they can't have proper track meets anymore until they get the
money to rebuild the track? Not all colleges have rich athletic departments.
bj

bj said:

"Sam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I doubt any colleges have "imperial" tracks anymore since the NCAA is
totally metric (well in the track events, they still cannot report
distances properly!)

Does this mean they can't have proper track meets anymore until they get the
money to rebuild the track? Not all colleges have rich athletic departments.

The difference in length is only 1/3 of a lane (that is, move lane 1 20in to
the inside, and you have a 400m distance). Depending on how expansive the track
surface is, they could adjust the length by repainting the track.

Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi
http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/

On Sun, 19 Dec 2004 13:40:18 -0500, pam_in_sc <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I sometimes go run around the track at a nearby university, where the
track team trains. I had been assuming once around was 1/4 mile, but I
suddenly wondered if tracks at universities in the US are now built on
metric dimensions.

For what it's worth --

My local high school has a rubberized surface track with permanent lane
markings. They run metric distances. Lane 1 (the "inside" lane) is 400
meters according to the coach. The posted rules for use by the community
ask that we run in the outer lanes, so I adopted lane 8. I consulted a
web site somewhere, and I also did the math based on 100 meter "straights"
and lane widths, and finished by actually measuring lane 8 with one of
those wheel things. My results for each method were within a few inches:
495 yards in lane 8, which makes four laps equal 1.125 miles. 14 laps plus
one extra straight is four miles.
--
Daniel
[email hidden]