By Richard S.
Track & Field is a
sport consisting of a number of events which can be reduced to two basic
fundamental categories. These categories are obviously track and field. The
“track” half of Track & Field is all running. The events take place in a
large circuit that has eight lanes and is the length of one fourth of a mile.
There are sprints, runs, and relays, with an exception of the hurdle events.
There is a 100 meter sprint (one fourth of a track length), a 200 meter sprint
(one half of a track length). There is a 400 meter run (the length of the
track), an 800 meter run (twice around the track), and a sixteen hundred meter
run (four times around the track). I don’t know what the relay events available
are. The field events are long jump, high jump, discus throw, and shot put.
There are other events (pole vaulting, javelin throw, etc.) which are not
available to the seventh and eighth grade. A participant may only run three
events in a meet.
Most people do not
realize that track is only half of your legs can do. Most people also don’t
know that if you don’t use your arms right it could reduce your speed
dramatically. In other words, if your form is really bad then you will greatly
hinder your speed as well as possibly look like you’ve never run in your life.
And when running distance it is important to pace yourself because if you start
running too hard you will get too tired to finish and will slow down at the
end. And, when sprinting, you need to keep the upper half of your body forward,
and keep facing the finish line, and pump your arms.
This is a picture of a
discus.
This is a picture of a
shot.
This is a picture of a
standard track.
This is a standard row
of hurdles.
This is a picture of a
long jump pit.
Click
this icon to return to the IHM homepage.