100 Meter Sprint
World Record
Men: Usain Bolt, Jamaica - 9.58, 2009
Women: Florence Griffith-Joyner, USA - 10.49, 1988
National Record:
Men: Maurice Greene - 9.79, 1999
Women: Florence Griffith-Joyner - 10.49, 1988
High School Record:
Men:
Women:

The 100 meter sprint is the shortest outdoor track and field race (there are shorter distances during the indoor track season). The winner of this race is often known as the "Fastest Man/Woman In the World" in the Olympics or International competitions. The starter of the race will use two verbal commands for the race. "Runners to your marks" will tell the athletes to get crouched down into the starting blocks (although not required, they are pretty standard for all runners). "Set" will tell the athletes to bring their hips up, ready to explode out of the blocks. After all athletes have come up and held the position, the starter will fire the gun. A false start will be a second gun shot, signifying that an athlete tried to go before the starter's gun was fired. In elite competition competitors are issued a warning and will be disqualified on a second false start. In high school if an athlete is deemed to have false started then they are disqualified from the race and cannot run. It is possible to charge a false start to the "field" if the officials determines that there were multiple false starts in a race or if one athlete causes another athlete to start early. Athletes must stay in their lane for the entire race, if they cross over into another lane or impedes on another runner they can also be disqualified. The 100 meter sprint is run on the straight of the track.

200 Meter Sprint
World Record
Men: Usain Bolt, Jamaica - 19.19, 2009
Women: Florence Griffith-Joyner, USA - 21.34, 1988
National Record:
Men: Michael Johnson - 19.32, 1996
Women: Florence Griffith-Joyner - 21.34, 1988
High School Record:
Men:
Women:

The 200 meter sprint starts at a different location from the 100 meter sprint but finishes at the same location. Athletes will start on a slight stagger to account for the longer distance run in the outer lanes. The starter of the race will use two verbal commands for the race. "Runners to your marks" will tell the athletes to get crouched down into the starting blocks (although not required, they are pretty standard for all runners). "Set" will tell the athletes to bring their hips up, ready to explode out of the blocks. After all athletes have come up and held the position, the starter will fire the gun. A false start will be a second gun shot, signifying that an athlete tried to go before the starter's gun was fired. In elite competition competitors are issued a warning and will be disqualified on a second false start. In high school if an athlete is deemed to have false started then they are disqualified from the race and cannot run. It is possible to charge a false start to the "field" if the officials determines that there were multiple false starts in a race or if one athlete causes another athlete to start early. Athletes must stay in their lane for the entire race, if they cross over into another lane or impedes on another runner they can also be disqualified. The 200 meter sprint starts at the beginning of the curve, with the first half of the race run on the curve. The athletes will come out of the curve and run the straight just like the 100 meter sprint.

400 Meter Sprint
World Record
Men: Michael Johnson, USA - 43.18, 1998
Women: Marits Koch, GDR (former East Germany) - 47.60, 1985
National Record:
Men: Michael Johnson - 43.18, 1998
Women: Sanya Richards - 48.70, 2006
High School Record:
Men:
Women:

The 400 meter sprint is the first race that athletes will go all the way around the track. Athletes start near the finish line on a stagger to account for the longer distance run in the outer lanes. The starter of the race will use two verbal commands for the race. "Runners to your marks" will tell the athletes to get crouched down into the starting blocks (although not required, they are pretty standard for all runners). "Set" will tell the athletes to bring their hips up, ready to explode out of the blocks. After all athletes have come up and held the position, the starter will fire the gun. A false start will be a second gun shot, signifying that an athlete tried to go before the starter's gun was fired. In elite competition competitors are issued a warning and will be disqualified on a second false start. In high school if an athlete is deemed to have false started then they are disqualified from the race and cannot run. It is possible to charge a false start to the "field" if the officials determines that there were multiple false starts in a race or if one athlete causes another athlete to start early. Athletes must stay in their lane all the way around the track for the entire race, if they cross over into another lane or impedes on another runner they can also be disqualified.

800 Meter Run
World Record
Men: Wilson Kipketer, Denmark - 1:41.11, 1997
Women: Jarmila Kratochvílová, CZE - 1:53.28, 1983
National Record:
Men: Johnny Gray - 1:42.60, 1985
Women: Jearl Miles-Clark - 1:56.40, 1999
High School Record:
Men:
Women:

The 800 meter run is a race in which each athlete will run two laps around the track. Not only is the start for the 800 meters different from the shorter races, there are a few different ways for the race to be started. One of the most common is the one-turn stagger, where all athletes will start in a lane at a short stagger, run in their lane on the curve, then break into lane 1 once they have crossed a line just after the curve. Another way to start is in chutes, where one group of runners will start at the finish line in lanes 1-4, while another group of runners will start staggered on another line on the curve in lanes 5-8. Athletes will be able to break in at the end of the curve. This allows for more athletes to compete in the race. A less common start for the 800 meters is the waterfall start, where all athletes will start on a slightly curved line near the finish line. Athletes will be able to break in immediately. Athletes do not start in blocks for these races. The starter only has one verbal command for the race. At "Runners to your marks" athletes step up to the line and hold their position, waiting for the gun. Once the athletes have all held, the gun is fired. A false start will be a second gun shot, signifying that an athlete tried to go before the starter's gun was fired. In elite competition competitors are issued a warning and will be disqualified on a second false start. In high school if an athlete is deemed to have false started then they are disqualified from the race and cannot run. It is possible to charge a false start to the "field" if the officials determines that there were multiple false starts in a race or if one athlete causes another athlete to start early. An athlete can be disqualified if they interfere with another runner or go off the track and come back onto the track at a location different from where they went off the track.

1600 Meter Run
World Record
Men: Hicham El Guerrouj, Mar - 3:43.13 (1 Mile), 1999
Women: Svetlana Masterkova, Russia - 4:12.56 (1 Mile), 1996
National Record:
Men: Alan Webb - 3:46.91 (1 Mile), 2007
Women: Mary Slaney - 4:16.71 (1 Mile), 1985
High School Record:
Men:
Women:

The 1600 meter run, often refered to as the Mile run, is a race in which each athlete will run 4 laps around the track. Not only is the start for the 1600 meters different from the shorter races, there are a couple different ways for the race to be started. One of the most common is to have the race start in chutes, where one group of runners will start at the finish line in lanes 1-4, while another group of runners will start staggered on another line on the curve in lanes 5-8. Athletes will be able to break in at the end of the curve. This allows for more athletes to compete in the race. Another common start for the 1600 meters is the waterfall start, where all athletes will start on a slightly curved line near the finish line. Athletes will be able to break in immediately. Athletes do not start in blocks for these races. The starter only has one verbal command for the race. At "Runners to your marks" athletes step up to the line and hold their position, waiting for the gun. Once the athletes have all held, the gun is fired. A false start will be a second gun shot, signifying that an athlete tried to go before the starter's gun was fired. In elite competition competitors are issued a warning and will be disqualified on a second false start. In high school if an athlete is deemed to have false started then they are disqualified from the race and cannot run. It is possible to charge a false start to the "field" if the officials determines that there were multiple false starts in a race or if one athlete causes another athlete to start early. An athlete can be disqualified if they interfere with another runner or go off the track and come back onto the track at a location different from where they went off the track. 1600 meters is actually slightly shorter than one mile, so the 1600 meter record is slightly different than the one mile record. Often there is a 1500 meter race as well.

3200 Meter Run
World Record
Men: Daniel Komen, Kenya - 7:20.67 (3000 m), 1996
Women: Junxia Wang, China - 8:06.11 (3000 m), 1993
National Record:
Men: Bob Kennedy - 7:30.84 (3000 m), 1998
Women: Mary Slaney - 8:25.83 (3000 m), 1985
High School Record:
Men:
Women:

The 3200 meter run, often refered to as the two mile run, is a race in which each athlete will run 4 laps around the track. Not only is the start for the 3200 meters different from the shorter races, there are a couple different ways for the race to be started. One of the most common is to have the race start in chutes, where one group of runners will start at the finish line in lanes 1-4, while another group of runners will start staggered on another line on the curve in lanes 5-8. Athletes will be able to break in at the end of the curve. This allows for more athletes to compete in the race. Another common start for the 3200 meters is the waterfall start, where all athletes will start on a slightly curved line near the finish line. Athletes will be able to break in immediately. Athletes do not start in blocks for these races. The starter only has one verbal command for the race. At "Runners to your marks" athletes step up to the line and hold their position, waiting for the gun. Once the athletes have all held, the gun is fired. A false start will be a second gun shot, signifying that an athlete tried to go before the starter's gun was fired. In elite competition competitors are issued a warning and will be disqualified on a second false start. In high school if an athlete is deemed to have false started then they are disqualified from the race and cannot run. It is possible to charge a false start to the "field" if the officials determines that there were multiple false starts in a race or if one athlete causes another athlete to start early. An athlete can be disqualified if they interfere with another runner or go off the track and come back onto the track at a location different from where they went off the track. 3200 meters is actually slightly shorter than two mile, so the 3200 meter record is slightly different than a two mile record. At certain competitions there is also the 3000 meter run, as well as longer races, including the 5000 meter and 10,000 meter, although these are for more elite competition.

4 X 100 Meter Relay
World Record
Men: Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell,, Jamaica - 37.10, 2008
Women: Silke Msller, Sabine Rieger, Ingrid Auerswald, Marlies Gshr, GDR (former East Germany) - 41.37, 1985
National Record:
Men: 37.40, 1992 & 1993
Women: Chryste Gaines, Marion Jones, Inger Miller, Gail Devers - 41.47, 1997
High School Record:
Men:
Women:

The 4x100 meter relay, also known as the 400 meter relay, is a race where 4 athletes must run a section of the track, passing a baton from one to another, so that the total distance covered by the team is 400 meters, or one lap. Each athlete must run about 100 meters, although this distance can be longer or shorter, depending on how soon an athlete receives and passes the baton. The start of the race is exactly the same as the 400 meter sprint. When handing off the baton must be passed within a 20 meter exchange zone, often denoted by two large triangles pointed toward each other, marking the beginning and end of the zone. To get up to speed an athlete can start within a 10 meter acceleration zone, usually marked by a small triangle or line before the exchange zone. Athletes may not start behind the mark. Along with disqualification from false start, teams can be disqualified if they interfere with another team or cross over into other lanes. Dropping the baton is not a disqualification, but the baton must be picked up and race continued from where the baton was dropped.

4 X 400 Meter Relay
World Record
Men: Jerome Young, Antonio Pettigrew, Tyree Washington, Michael Johnson, USA - 2:54.20, 1998
Women: Tatyana Ledovskaya, Olga Nazarova, Maria Pinigina, Olga Bryzgina, USSR - 3:15.17, 1988
National Record:
Men: 2:54.20, 1998
Women: Denean Howard, Diane Dixon, Vallerie Brisco, Florence Griffith Joyner - 3:15.51, 1988
High School Record:
Men:
Women:

The 4x400 meter relay, also known as the 1600 meter relay, is a race where 4 athletes must run one lap on the track, passing a baton from one to another, so that the total distance covered by the team is 1600 meters, or 4 laps. This is most often the final race of a competition. Each athlete must run about 400 meters, although this distance can be longer or shorter, depending on how soon an athlete receives and passes the baton. The start of the race is the same as the 400 meter sprint. When handing off the baton must be passed within a 20 meter exchange zone, often denoted by two large triangles pointed toward each other, marking the beginning and end of the zone. Athletes must start within the triangles. The race is run using either a two or three turn stagger. In a three turn stagger, the first athlete must race in their lane for the entire race. When they hand off to the next runner, the second must stay in their lane for the first 100 meters (on the curve), then can break into lane 1 (similar to 800 meter run). The second runner will stay in or near lane 1 when handing off to the third runner, and the third and fourth runners will run on the inside of the track for the duration of the race. Along with disqualification from false start, teams can be disqualified if they interfere with another team or cross over into other lanes. If an athlete goes off of the track they must come back onto the track at exactly the same place that they went off the track. Dropping the baton is not a disqualification, but the baton must be picked up and race continued from where the baton was dropped.

100/110 Meter High Hurdles
World Record
Men: Dayon Robles, Cuba - 12.87 (110 m), 2008
Women: Yordanka Donkova, Bulgaria - 12.21 (100 m), 1988
National Record:
Men: Dominique Arnold - 12.90 (110 m), 2006
Women: Gail Devers - 12.33 (100 m), 2000
High School Record:
Men:
Women:

The 100 meter hurdles is a hurdle race for women, while the 110 meter hurdle race is for men. In both athletes start in the blocks with the same commands as the 100 meter sprint. For the 100 meters 10 hurdles are spaced evenly along the track at a height of 2 feet 9 inches. For the 110 meters 10 hurdles are spaced evenly along track at a height of 3 feet 3 inches (elite is 3 feet 6 inches). Fallen hurdles do not count against the runner, as long as it is deemed that the athlete did not knock the hurdles over on purpose. An athlete will be disqualified if this is determined to be the case. An athlete can also be disqualified if they false start or interfere with another athlete or if they cross into another lane.

300 Meter Intermediate Hurdles
World Record
Men: Kevin Young, USA - 46.78 (400 m), 1992
Women: Yuliya Pechonkina, Russia - 52.34 (400 m), 1987
National Record:
Men: Kevin Young - 46.78 (400 m), 1992
Women: Kim Batten - 52.61 (400 m), 1995
High School Record:
Men:
Women:

The 300 meter hurdles is a hurdle race that starts staggered on the back straight, goes into the curve, then finishes on the straight to the common finish. There are some high schools and high school competitions in the country that use the 400 meter hurdle race. This race uses the same heights but have 10 hurdles spread all around the track. College and elite races also run the 400 meter hurdles race. Athletes start in blocks, with the commands the same as those used for the 400 meter sprint. For the women 8 hurdles are spaced evenly along the track at a height of 2 feet 6 inches. For the men 8 hurdles are spaced evenly along track at a height of 3 feet. Fallen hurdles do not count against the runner, as long as it is deemed that the athlete did not knock the hurdles over on purpose. An athlete will be disqualified if this is determined to be the case. An athlete can also be disqualified if they false start or interfere with another athlete or if they cross into another lane.