Eli5 What makes a running track ‘fast’ , in caparison to a ‘normal’ track? Heard this term a few times at the World Athletic Championship in Eugene, OR
In: 15
Old tracks used to be cinders (effectively small gravel), which was slow because the cinders would slide around and runners would lose power to lost traction. Then we moved to asphalt tracks, which were faster because they were very hard, which meant that runners got much better traction. The modern tracks are essentially a manufactured rubber, which means both good traction and significant energy return because runners get a bounce off of the surface as it compresses and rebounds.
Latest Answers