Sprint (also called dash)

 a footrace over a short distance in a limited period of time.

 typically as a way of quickly reaching a target or goal, or avoiding or
catching an opponent
 Common distances being 100m, 200m, 400m and 400m relay.

History

Sprint races are the oldest recorded form of athletic competition, dating at
least to the Olympic Games of 776 B.C. Some sources indicate that the stade
race (approximately 200 meters) was the only event at the first Olympic
Games. Eventually, a two-stade race was added.

The fastest human footspeed on record is 44.7 km/h (12.4 m/s or 27.78
mph), seen during a 100 meters sprint (average speed between the 60th and
the 80th meter) by Usain Bolt. Maximum human sprint speed is strikingly
slower than that of many animals.

Equipment

The course for sprint races is usually marked off in lanes within which each
runner must remain for the entire race. Originally sprinters used a standing
start, but after 1884 sprinters started from a crouched position using a device
called a starting block (legalized in the 1930s) to brace their feet. Races are
begun by a pistol shot; top sprinters attain maximum speed, more than 40
km per hour (25 miles per hour). After the 65-metre mark the runner begins
to lose speed through fatigue.

The relay baton is a smooth, hollow, one-piece tube made of wood, metal or
any other rigid material. It measures between 28-30cm long, and between
12-13 cm in circumference. The baton must weigh at least 50 grams.
The Competition

All Olympic sprint and relay events include eight runners, or eight teams, in
the final. Depending on the number of entries, individual sprint events
include two or three preliminary rounds before the final. In 2004, the 100-
and 200-meter events included one round of preliminary heats followed by
quarterfinal and semi-final rounds prior to the final. The 400 included one
round of preliminary heats plus a semi-final round.

Sixteen teams qualify for the Olympic 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relays.

RULES

The Start

Runners in the individual sprints, plus the leadoff relay runners, begin in
starting blocks. The other relay runners begin on their feet when they
receive the baton in the passing zone.

In all sprint events the starter will announce, “On your marks,” and then,
“Set.” At the “set” command runners must have both hands and at least
one knee touching the ground and both feet in the starting blocks. Their
hands must be behind the start line.

The race begins with the opening gun. Runners are permitted only one
false start and are disqualified for a second false start.

The Race

The 100-meter race is run on a straightaway and all runners must remain
in their lanes. As in all races, the event ends when a runner’s torso (not the
head, arm or leg) crosses the finish line.

In the 200- and 400-meter runs, plus the 4 x 100 relay, competitors again
remain in their lanes, but the start is staggered to account for the
curvature of the track.
 In the 4 x 400 relay, only the first runner remains in the same lane for the
full lap. After receiving the baton, the second runner may leave his/her
lane after the first turn. The third and fourth runners are assigned lanes
based on the position of the team’s previous runner when he/she is
halfway around the track.

Relay Rules

The baton can only be passed within the exchange zone, which is 20
meters long. Exchanges made outside the zone – based on the position of
the baton, not either runners’ foot – result in disqualification. Passers
must remain in their lanes after the pass to avoid blocking other runners.

The baton must be carried by hand. If it’s dropped the runner can leave
the lane to retrieve the baton as long as the recovery doesn’t lessen
his/her total running distance. Runners may not wear gloves or place
substances on their hands in order to obtain a better grip of the baton.

Any athlete entered in the Olympics may compete on a country’s relay

team. However, once a relay team begins competition, only two additional
athletes may be used as substitutes in later heats or the final. For practical
purposes, therefore, a relay team includes a maximum of six runners – the
four who run in the first heat and a maximum of two substitutes.