Track and Field Unit Notes

1. Track and Field Unit Notes Physical Education Unit #4

2. What is Track and Field • Track and Field is a group of running, hurdling, jumping, and throwing events held between individuals or teams at indoor and outdoor meets.

3. History • Most track and field events are as old as man. Every race of people have devised and participated in various competitive forms of running jumping and throwing. It was the Greeks during the Golden Age; however who developed the pattern for the modern events. They held many different track and field games but the most famous were the Olympic Festivals. They began 776 B.C. and continued to be held every four (4) years until A.D. 394. The modern Olympic games were revived 1898 in Athens, Greece. • Modern track and field traces its origins to the Olympic games of Ancient Greece. While the rules of the 20th century competition are quite different from those of ancient times, the spirit of the sport remains true to its early Greek roots. The modern Olympic motto citius, altius, forties (faster, higher, stronger) best captures track and field competition. Each event determines who can run the farthest, who can jump the highest or the longest, or who can throw the farthest.

4. How are the Events Measured? • The metric system is used to measure track and field’s many distances and heights (The United States and Britain English system of inches, feet, yards, and miles ended only in 1976.)One meter is about 3 feet 3 inches or about 39 inches. • Timing and measurements are crucial to track and field. During some competition only a few hundredths of a second or a few centimeters separate first, second, and third place finishers. (Tape measure, stopwatch, videotapes, and photo finishes can all be tools used at track meets to ensure timing and measurements.)

5. Track and Field Venues • Indoor:200 meter (218 yards). These tracks are shorter and have banked turns that allow runners to reach top speed without running off of the track. • Outdoor:400 meter (437 yards). Most tracks have eight lanes and all races go in a counter clockwise direction.

6. Running Events • Running events are competitions that test athlete’s quickness, speed, and endurance. Athletes win running meets by completing the distance or cause in the least amount of time. The development of strength, explosive power and flexibility are important training components of these events. • Sprints: Indoors - 50 meter, 60 meter, 200 meter, 400 meter Outdoors – 100 meter, 200 meter, 400 meter • Middle Distances: Indoor or Outdoor any race between 400 to 1500 meters. 800 m. run • Long Distances: Indoors 2 miles, 3000 meter, 5000 meter races Outdoor: 3000 meter, 3000 meter steeplechase men 5000 meter, 10,000 meter, and marathon: 5K, half marathon, full1600 m. 3200 m. run • Relays: Teams consist of four members. They pass the baton either visually non-visually • Visual Pass – runner’s right hand to next runner’s left hand • Non-visual Pass – runner’s left hand to next runner’s right hand

7. Jumping Events Long Jump • Long Jump: The distance of the run-up is determined by the strength, skills, conditioning, and the speed pattern of the jumper. The contest measures who can jump the farthest horizontal distance. To long jump, and athlete sprints down a runway about 45 meters (or 148 feet) long, springs from hitting a take-off board or mark and sails through the air, landing in the sandpit.While in the air, the jumper throws their body forward, and pedals their feet.

8. Jumping EventsTriple Jump • Triple Jump:Run hop skip jump is the pattern.

9. Jumping EventsHigh Jump • High Jump: In the high jump, athletes have three chances to leap over a crossbar set between two upright poles 4 m (13 feet apart).To make a jump, the competitors run towards the bar and then leap. After clearing the crossbar, they land on a soft cushion called the pit. High-jump techniques have changed dramatically since the 1960’s.

10. Throwing Events • Events that test an athlete’s abilities to put heave hurl, and throw certain objects are known as the throwing events. These events are the shot put, discus, hammer, and javelin, which are collectively called the weights. An athlete wins a throwing event by propelling the object the farthest. • In most contests each competitor takes three throws, and the eight best performers receive three more throws.Competitors are ranked according to the distance of their longest throw. For the Discus, Shot, and Hammer if the contestant steps outside of the circle, three throw does not count, and all attempts must land within a fan-shaped in-bounds area.

11. Throwing EventsShot Put • Shot put: 16 pounds for men’s college and Olympic men competitions. 12 pounds for high school boys. 8 pound 13 oz. for women college competitions. 8 pounds for high school girls. • The event involves “throwing”/”putting” (throwing in a pushing motion) a heavy spherical object –the shot- as far as possible.The competition for men has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival in 1896, the women’s competition began in 1948. The first known events resembling the modern shot put likely occurred in the Middle Ages, when solders held competitions in which they hurled cannonballs. Shot put competitions were first recorded in the 19th century Scotland, and were a part of the British Amateur Championships beginning in 1866.

12. Shot Put • The two main putting styles used by competitors are the glide and the spin. • The glide dates back to 1951, when Parry O’ Brien of the United States invented a technique that involved the putter facing backwards, rotating 180 degrees across the circle and tossing the shot.

13. Shot Put • The spin was used in 1972, and was used in competition by Russian thrower Aleksandr Baryshnikov. It was invented by his coach. The spin involves rotating like a discus thrower and using rotational momentum for power.

14. Throwing EventsDiscus • Discus: 4 pounds 6.55 ounces for men’s college and Olympic/ 3 pounds 9 ounces for high school boys. 2 pounds 3.25 ounces for high school and college women.

15. Throwing EventsJavelin • Javelin: a metal tipped wooden or metal speak eight and a half to nine feet in length that a thrower projects high and far, and wants it to stick into the field at a far point. It must land within the designated area. • Safety is very important for this event. During our class we will use what are called Practice Javelin, which have a rubber tip and are made of heavy plastic, instead of the actual javelin that are used during competitive events.

16. Vocabulary for UnitMake sure to copy all vocabulary into your notes! • Track and Field: Athletic events performed on a running track and the field that is enclosed by an oval course of dirt, cinders, or synthetic material laid out for running or racing. • Triple Jump: an event in which each competitor jumps for distance from a running start, landing first on the take off foot (hip) then on the other foot (a step) and ending on both feet (jump). • Sprint: a race run at top speed from beginning to end (also called dash). Examples: 50, 100, 200, 300, 400 • Splits: the recorded times of a distance runner at various intervals as at every eight mile of a race. • Spikes: The sharp metal place or nail like projection fixed to the sole of a shoe for traction. • Long Jump: an event in which competitors leap for distance, with a run to their take off point, which is their jump off the board. • Relay Member: a race between two or more teams in which each team member runs only a set part of the race (called a leg) and then is relieved by another member of the team. • Record: the best performance known; also information or data that is collected concerning an individual, team, league, or country. • Pit: the landing area for such events as the long jump, triple, and high jump and pole vault. • Pentathlon: an event in which each contestant participates in five different track and field events. Points are awarded on the basis of each athlete’s performance in each event. The winner is the contestant with the highest point total. • Mile Relay: a relay race in which each leg is one quarter of a mile or 1600 meters. • Javelin: a metal-tipped wooden or metal speak eight and half to nine feet in length used in the javelin throw • Hurdles: a race in which a series of hurdles must be jumped. They are lower for girls and higher for boys.

17. Vocabulary Continued: • Hammer throw: field even in which the hammer is thrown for distance standing within a seven feet circle grasping the grip in both hands. Three throws with the best effort determining the winner. • Decathlon: a track event in which each contestant participates in 10 different track and field events (100 meter, 400 meter, 1600 meter, hurdles, shot put, discus, javelin, high jump long jump, pole vaulting.) • Shot put: a field event in which contestants attempt to throw a shot as far as possible (solid metal ball five inches in diameter high school 12 pounds, college 16 pounds.) • Discus: A field event in which a disk usually wood with a metal rim about eight inches in diameter weighing four and a half pounds is thrown. • Baton: Hollow stick of wood, metal or plastic approximately 12 inches in length that is carried by each runner in a relay race. The baton is passed to the runner who is next person in the relay race. • Amateur: an athlete who has never competed for money. • Anchor: The last runner on a relay team. • Course: The path of the runner. • Dead heat: a race in which two or more runners cross the finish line at exactly the same moment. • False start; when runner jumps the gun, or starts before the other runners, usually they will get a warning, and if it happens again they are DQ (Dis-qualified). • Finish Line: a line drawn on the track, which marks the race finish. • Lap: one complete circuit of the track. • Leg of relay: the distance over which one member of a relay team must run. • Scratch Line: Curved or straight line behind which throws must be made. • Starting block: a device against which runners may place their feet in order to get a faster start at the beginning of a race. • Staggered start: the start of a race in which runners do not start on a straight line. • Straightaway: Straight area of the track between one curve and the next. • Stride: Distance covered by one step.