Running events up to 10000m in distance are conducted on a 400 m track which is outdoors during summer competition and indoors during the winter. The track is made with a rubber surface to improve grip and lessen the risk of slipping in poor weather conditions. The track is an elongated oval shape, consisting of a semi-circle at either end and two straight segments joining the semi-circles together.

The track is split into six to ten lanes which circle around an inner field used for throwing and jumping events. Each runner is allocated a lane at the beginning of the race, with starting blocks marking the beginning of the race, although whether athletes are required to stay in lane for the duration of the race, depends on the distance being run.

The winner of all races conducted on the track is the first person whose torso crosses the finishing line. If hands, legs, head or feet cross the line before another contestant’s torso a win is not counted. A runner is disqualified from a race if they make two false starts, which are counted if they leave the starting blocks before the starting gun is fired. Running events on the track are split into different categories, distinguished by the distance being run. The categories are: short distance races, middle distance races and long distance races.

2. STARTING BLOCK

Device made up of two adjustable pedals that allow sprinters to give themselves momentum during a start.

3. SHORT DISTANCE RACES

For the shortest running races, contestants must stay in lane at all times and will be disqualified if they change lanes. The short distance races consist of:

· 100 m - The shortest running event in athletics, the 100 m sprint requires the athlete to start well, leaving the blocks with immense power and speed.

· 200 m - As with the 100 m, the 200 m requires instant acceleration but it also needs stamina to maintain the speed for the duration of the race.

· 400 m - The distance of one circuit around the track, the 400 m requires the athlete to have a good powerful start whilst maintaining enough stamina and energy to make a sprinting finish at the end of the race.

· 600 m (this is only included in Indoor Athletics competitions) - Sometimes considered a middle distance race, this is often raced by 400 m athletes to improve endurance or by 800 m athletes to improve speed.

4. MIDDLE DISTANCE RACES

The middle distance races consist of:

· 800 m - This consists of two circuits around the track, requiring the athlete to demonstrate good speed combined with endurance. In the 800 m the runner is required to stay in their allocated lane until the first curve of the track, when they are then allowed to change lanes, although if a runner deliberately obstructs another contestant they risk being disqualified from the competition.

· 1500 m - Also known as the metric mile, the 1500m race requires athletes to run 3.75 times around the track. It requires endurance in order that contestants maintain speed and have enough energy to make a final push to the finish line. Unlike the 800 m, runners can change lanes as soon as the race has started, although like all races, a contestant will be disqualified if they deliberately obstruct another runner.

5. LONG DISTANCE RACES

The long distance races consist of:

· 3000 m - A distance that is often run by runners who are comfortable at both 1500m and 5000m. Many see it as a hybrid event between middle and long distances and is characterised by fast finishes.

· 3000 m Steeplechase - Originating from a British event where runners raced between towns, from one church steeple to the next, the Steeplechase is a 3000 m race in which contestants run around the track encountering various obstacles over the course of the race. The obstacles consist of twenty eight different barriers and seven water jumps which are situated at different points on the track.

· 5000 m - Requiring extreme endurance and aerobic training the 5000 m requires athletes to run 12.5 times around the track. Unlike the short distance races, stamina is much more important than speed and athletes begin the race steadily in order to conserve energy for the duration of the race.

· 10000 m - The longest track event in athletics competition, the 10000 m requires intense training sessions in order that the athlete can build up the stamina and mental determination necessary to run the required 25 times around the track.

6. RELAY

The relay most commonly consists of 4 x 100 m sprint with four runners each completing one leg of the race. Contestants are allowed to change lanes in relay events, with the exception of the first runner who will be disqualified if they do not stay in lane. Athletic rules stipulate that contestants must pass a baton to the next runner on completion of their own leg within a marked changeover zone.

Once the baton is passed, the runner who passed the baton must stay in lane until all other runners pass, to avoid obstructing another contestant. If the baton is dropped, the runner may pick it up but should not obstruct other runners when doing so. As well as the 4 x 100 m relay, other relay events that are commonly included in Athletics competitions are:

· 4 x 200 m

· 4 x 400 m

· 4 x 800 m

There are also medley relays although these usually only take place at specific relay events. There are two types of medley relays:

· Distance Medley Relay: this consists of a 1200 m leg, a 400 m leg, an 800 m leg and a 1600 m leg to finish.

· Sprint Medley Relay: this consists of a 400 m leg, two 200 m legs and an 800 m leg to finish.

7. HURDLES

The hurdles race consists of a track with ten hurdles in each lane, spaced evenly over the course of the track. Contestants are required to jump over each hurdle with both feet clearing the height of the hurdle bar. The hurdles are positioned in such a way that they will fall over if the runner touches them and although contestants will not be disqualified for knocking hurdles down accidentally, they will be penalized for knocking them down deliberately. Contestants must stay in lane throughout the race and will be disqualified for changing lanes or obstructing another athlete. There are three types of hurdle races which commonly take place at athletics competitions:

· 110 m hurdles - Designed for male competitors, the 110 m hurdle event consists of ten hurdles at 1.067 m high, with the first hurdle being placed 13.72 m from the starting block and the following nine hurdles placed at a distance of 9.14 m from each other.

· 100 m hurdles - Designed for female competitors, the 100 m hurdle event consists of ten hurdles at 84 cm high, with the first hurdle being placed 13 m from the starting block and the following nine hurdles placed at a distance of 8.50 m from each other.

· 400 m hurdles - this race is commonly run by both male and female athletes. It consists of ten hurdles at 91.44 cm for male events and ten hurdles at 76.20 m for female events. In both the male and female 400 m hurdles, the first hurdle is placed 45 m from the starting block with a distance of 35 m between each hurdle and 40 m from the last hurdle to the finishing line.

Road Events

Whilst most athletic events take place on the track or field within an indoor or outdoor stadium, the races which cover longer distances take place on the road.

1. MARATHON

The marathon is a race covering the distance of 42.195 km, which was first run by a Greek messenger in 490 BC. Whilst marathons usually take place independently from other athletics events, the marathon is included as an athletics event in the summer Olympic Games. The marathon is the ultimate challenge in endurance and strength, requiring the athlete to pace themselves from the beginning to avoid running out of energy and postponing the ‘wall’ stage, where athletes suffer extreme fatigue as glycogen levels run low.

2. RACEWALKING

Racewalking is a popular event worldwide but it is usually only included in the major competitions, including the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games and the IAAF Athletics World Championships. Racewalking requires the athlete to cover a set distance as quickly as possible but unlike the running technique, the toe of the back foot is not permitted to leave the ground until the heel of the front foot makes contact with the ground, thus distinguishing the movement as a walk, despite the speed racewalkers use.

The athlete is also required to keep their supporting leg straight until the body passes over it, a rule that if violated is known as ‘lifting.’ In order to walk as quickly as possible, athletes move the pelvis as far forward as possible in order to propel the body along the ground at maximum speed. Racewalking events take place over 20 km for both male and female athletes and 50 km for male athletes only.

Field events

1. JUMPING EVENTS

There are four jumping events in field athletics: high jump, long jump, triple jump and pole vault. There are four main principles which are applied to all jumping events:

· Starting run - this is the period of time where the athlete gathers speed for the take-off.

· Take off - this is the transition between the run and the jump with the athlete propelling their body into the air.

· Flight - this is the period of time when the body is airborne, sending them horizontally away from the starting point in the long jump or triple jump and vertically over the bar in the high jump.

· Landing - this is the point at which the athlete finishes the jump marking the distance (in the case of the long jump and triple jump) that they have travelled through the air.

1.1. High Jump

In the high jump event, athletes sprint down a runway towards a four meter long horizontal bar and jump vertically over the bar on to a cushioned mattress. There are various methods of jumping over the bar but the most common is known as the ‘Fosbury Flop’. Whatever their chosen methods of jumping over the bar, all contestants are required to make the take off from one foot. After three failed jumps a contestant is eliminated from the competition.

1.2. Long Jump

The long jump requires athletes to sprint down a runway and jump off a raised platform into a stretch of sand or other marked area, with the aim of landing as far from the starting point as possible. The distance travelled is measured by the first mark made by the athlete’s body in the sand on landing. The jump is also a fail if the athlete leaves the runway after the take-off line at the end of the take-off board.

1.3. Triple Jump

Also known as ‘the hop, step and jump’ the triple jump requires the athlete to begin with speed but to maintain energy for the take-off. The triple jump begins with a sprint down the runway and is followed by a hop, a step and a jump before the athlete propels their body into the air, with the aim of landing as far from the starting point as possible, in the same manner as the long jump. When the athlete hops, they must land on the same foot as they began sprinting on and the step should land on the opposite foot.

1.4. Pole Vault

The pole vault requires the athlete to clear the height of a horizontal bar with the assistance of a vertical pole, with the bar increasing in height as more athletes are eliminated from the competition. The athlete begins the jump by sprinting down a runway and then plants the pole into a box in front of the bar, using the pole to power over the bar. As with the high jump, a pole vault is classified as a fail if the contestant knocks the bar down during the vault and after three failed attempts the athlete is then eliminated from the competition.

2. THROWING EVENTS

There are four different throwing events included in athletics competition which require athletes to demonstrate power, strength and accuracy. The four events are: the hammer, the discus, the javelin and the shot put.

2.1. Hammer

The ‘hammer’ is an extremely heavy metal ball weighing 7.2kg which is attached to a handle by a steel wire. The hammer event requires the contestant to have extreme strength and excellent technique, in order to throw the metal ball across the field. When making the throw the contestant must stand within a designated area, marked by a circle. If the athlete steps out of the circle during the throw or before the hammer lands, the throw is classified as a fail.

2.2. Discus

Making use of a spinning technique to bring about speed and strength, the discus requires the athlete to throw a disc shaped object across the field as far as possible. The athlete must begin the throw from a stationary position but there are no specified requirements for the method used to throw the discus. To make the throw the athlete stands within a circle marked on the ground and is forbidden to leave the circle before the discus has landed. If the contestant steps on or outside the circle, the throw is classified as a fail.

2.3. Javelin

The Javelin combines speed with great strength, requiring the athlete to throw a long spiked pole as far as possible across the field. The javelin has a grip, part way along the pole, which the athlete must hold on to when throwing. The javelin is thrown by an arm extended backwards, being thrown over the shoulder or upper part of the arm. For the throw to count, the javelin must land with the tip (front part of the javelin) hitting the ground before the tail (back part of the javelin) If the athlete turns their back to the throwing line during the throw or crosses the line during or after the throw, the throw is classified as a fail.

2.4. Shot Put

Requiring perhaps more strength than any other athletic event, the shot put requires the athlete to throw an extremely heavy ball across a specified distance by transferring leg strength up through the arms. The athlete is required to begin the throw from a stationary position within a marked circle and must throw the shot using one hand only. The contestant is disqualified if they leave the marked circle before the shot has touched the ground.

Mixed Events

1. HEPTATHLON

Combining seven different track and field events the heptathlon is an all-female event which tests the endurance, strength and all-round ability of the athlete, awarding contestants points in each event for their best performance. The heptathlon consists of the 100 m hurdles, the high jump, the shot put and the 200 m run on the first day of competition and the long jump, the javelin and the 800 m run on the second day.

Although on the whole most of the normal rules apply to each individual event included in the heptathlon there are some small variations. In the running events, athletes are permitted to make three false starts before being disqualified from the event. There are only three attempts allowed in each field event and should an athlete choose not to compete in one event, they are disqualified from the entire competition.

2. DECATHLON

Like the heptathlon for female athletes, the decathlon tests the stamina and strength of male athletes through ten different track and field events spread over two days of competition, with points being awarded for the contestant’s best performance in each event. The decathlon consists of the 100m run, the long jump, the shot put, the high jump and the 400 m run on the first day and the 110 m hurdles, the discus, the pole vault, the javelin and the 1500 m run on the second day of the competition. The same rule variations apply to the decathlon as to the heptathlon.

Victor Manuel Torres Torres 2º BD

domingo, 12 de enero de 2014

THEORY

1. INTRODUCTION