eli5 when the Olympics broadcast describes the Tokyo track as a “fast track” for the runners?

Question

eli5 when the Olympics broadcast describes the Tokyo track as a “fast track” for the runners?

In: Other

Answer 1

I just read an article about this.

It returns energy better than most tracks. The material has been in development for the past three years.

It’s 14 mm thick and has a top made of vulcanized rubber, for springiness. Lower layers have air cells that take some of the impact and return energy. What’s new is the use of rubber granules. The base is diamond-comb like while honeycomb structures used to be / are the standard.

French sprinter Jimmy Vicaut suspected that while great for racing, the material might be risky to train on – he hinted it might cause muscle injuries on the long run.