Anatomy of a Track & Field Meet

BY BECKY PURDY ILLUSTRATIONS CHELSEY FARRIS

To an average spectator, a track and field meet at Loomis Chaffee and pretty much anywhere else can seem more like a three-ring circus. Some athletes are running on the track, some are jumping over hurdles, some are passing a baton. Others are catapulting over bars, skipping into sand pits, or throwing various projectiles. And everything is happening at once. What are they all doing? And how does a casual spectator know where to look and what to cheer for? To help you understand what it’s all about, we offer this primer on a typical track and field meet on the Island.

The LONG JUMP and TRIPLE JUMP are contested on a runway with a sand pit at the end, and the goal is to jump as far horizontally as possible. Jumpers speed along the runway, which is the same surface as the track, until they reach a “board” or painted box marking the foul line. Their toes cannot touch the runway even a millimeter beyond the end of the board or the jump is ruled invalid, called a “foul.” In the long jump, the athlete takes off from the board and lands in the sand pit. In the triple jump, the board is farther back on the runway, and the jumper takes one jump from the board then a hop and a jump before landing in the pit. In both events, jumps are measured from the front of the board to the spot in the sand where the jumper’s body touched nearest to their takeoff. If a jumper lands on her feet but falls back and catches herself with her hands, for instance, the jump is measured from the hand that reached farthest back into the sand.

The TRACK measures 400 meters around on the innermost lane, Lane 1. For running events that are longer than 400 meters, the racers complete more than one circuit, or “lap,” of the track. For these races, an official tells the competitors how many laps they have left each time they pass by the finish line. In some of the longer races, such as the 3000 meters (7 1/2 laps, which is 1.86 miles), the fastest runners can pull so far ahead that they overtake the slower runners who are still on an earlier circuit of the track. There is no penalty for being "lapped," nor is there any shame in it, as everyone is striving to run their own best time for the race distance. Track and field athletes often refer to a personal-best performance as a "PR," for personal record. It's a good day out on the track if you hear a lot of team members saying, "I PR'd!"

the STARTER is the track official who gives final instructions to racers, calls them to the starting line, and makes sure everyone receives a fair start. And don’t worry. The starting pistol is a blank handgun designed not to discharge ammunition. Even so, it is fired straight up in the air to start a race. A “false start” is called if one or more of the competing runners moves before the pistol is fired. The starter then fires the pistol a second time, calling the runners back to the line for another start.

HURDLES are made to be adjusted to different heights, depending on the event and the gender of the competitors. For the 300-meter intermediate hurdles, the barriers are set 30 inches high for girls and at 36 inches for boys. For the “high hurdles” events, which are run on a straight stretch of the track (100 meters in distance for girls, 110 meters for boys), the hurdles are set at a height of 33 inches for girls and 39 inches for boys. The higher setting makes the hurdles more difficult to clear and, thus, require better hurdling technique. For all hurdles races, the barriers are placed at marked, evenly-spaced locations on the track, and competitors stay in their designated lanes. This is why you see officials and volunteers moving the hurdles to different locations and setting them at different heights between events. In case you’re curious, the hurdles are raised to 42 inches for college and Olympic-level men's high hurdles races.

POLE VAULT

Among the most daring of field events at a meet is the pole vault. As with the high jump, the goal is to jump over a horizontal bar without knocking it down. While in the high jump, athletes must use only their own speed, jumping ability, and technique to clear the bar, a pole vaulter uses a flexible pole to reach greater heights. In this event, athletes run along a runway, stick one end of the pole into a box, and use the pole to help launch themselves up and over the bar. The Loomis Chaffee school record in the pole vault is 14 feet-3 inches for boys (set by Ryan Durkin ’18 in 2017) and 10 feet-0 inches for girls (set by Ciera Hunter ’15 in 2014).

STARTING BLOCKS

SPIKES

Sprinters — runners who compete at the shorter distances — may use starting blocks to help propel them forward at the beginning of their races. The blocks can be adjusted to an athlete’s preferred foot placements, and the pads in combination with the runner’s starting crouch help him accelerate to his top speed quicker than if he started from a standing position without blocks. For sprint events, you may hear the starting official’s familiar three commands: “Runners, take your marks,” instructing competitors to step into their blocks and crouch with their hands poised on the track behind the starting line; “Set,” for the runners to raise their hips and prepare to spring forward; and then, when all competitors are completely still, the starting gun is fired, signaling the race’s start.

THROWING

EVENTS include the discus, shot put, and javelin field events. Aptly named, the discus involves throwing a weighted disc (2.2 pounds for girls, 3.5 pounds for boys) as far as possible. Most discus throwers spin on the throwing circle before sending the discus flying. The shot put uses a weighted ball (8.8 pounds for girls, 12 pounds for boys) that athletes throw as far as they can. Most shot putters execute a special slide and turn, or a spin, within the throwing circle before heaving the shot put. While the event takes arm strength, success relies primarily on explosive leg strength and refined technique. The javelin is a spear-like implement thrown, as in the other throwing events, for maximum distance. Javelin throwers run in a sequence of strides and cross-over steps toward a “foul line” to gain maximum propulsion for their throw. The angle and height of throws in all three events are major factors in how far the implement travels. Except in the discus and shot put, most track and field athletes wear spiked shoes, or “spikes,” to aid their performances. Pointed spikes in the ball of each shoe improve traction on the running, jumping, or javelin-throwing surface and are very light-weight. Their design also keeps athletes more on the balls of their feet than that of regular sneakers or training shoes.

RELAYS are four-person events in which each team member runs a set distance and must pass a baton (a hollow, aluminum stick) to the next teammate. The exchange, or handoff, must take place within marked zones on the track or the relay is disqualified. In most Loomis Chaffee meets, teams compete in the 4 x 100-meter and 4 x 400-meter relays. The 4 x 100 is especially exciting because it involves precision handoffs done at top speeds and usually “blind,” with the recipient reaching back for the baton without looking. The 4 x 400 is thrilling to watch — and compete in — because it is the last event of the meet, and closely contested meets can come down to this final relay to determine which team wins the overall competition.

A track and field meet is SCORED by assigning points to the top finishers in each event, and the team that accumulates the most points wins the meet. The number of points each place receives depends on the number of teams competing and the level of the meet. In dual meets, where two teams compete headto-head, first place scores five points, second place scores three points, and third place scores one point in each of the 15 individual events, and a winning relay team earns five points while a second-place relay earns none. In championship meets — Loomis Chaffee competes in the Founders League Championship and the New England Prep School Track Association Division I Championship at the end of the season — six places score points in every event, with 10 points for first place, eight points for second, six for third, four for fourth, two for fifth, and one for sixth.