eli5 when the Olympics broadcast describes the Tokyo track as a “fast track” for the runners?
In: Other
The tracks used for running on is specifically designed to help people run fast. When you land with the front foot you are dissipating some of the energy in your movement. However if the ground is springy this energy will be used to compress the ground and then return to you when you jump again with your rear foot. So you require less energy to run allowing you to use more energy on going fast. But the surface also needs to have very high friction to your foot so that no energy is lost in slipping but at the same time the track have to let go very easily when you jump and not cling on to your shoe. Most tracks are therefore made of some sort of rubber compound. But getting all these parameters right can be very hard and a small difference in the rubber compound, how it was laid or just the weather can make the track slower. Tracks are even known to getting faster as they get older, up until a point, because the rubber changes over time. And apparently the people laying the track in Tokyo either knows more about track laying then anyone else or they might have just gotten lucky.
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