Loinclothslave
slave to the whip
In horse racing in Australia most states run clockwise except Victoria which is counter clockwise!!
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Question about track and field competions
- Thread starter Gibbs505
- Start date
poem21045
Tribunus Plebis
Well, gosh, if the idea is to get the fastest time, what better way than rewinding a clock?
Frank Petrexa
Tribune
From all the above, it seems that directions were decided long before Newton came along and anybody knew what centrifugal force was (actually a mathematical motion that compensates for the fact that Newton's Laws don't work in a "rotating" coordinate system--and then rotating relative to what: who gets to be the "master" coordinate system, the question that lead Einstein to relativity). This is probably a very small effect, especially at foot race speeds. These explanations kind of reminds me of American baseball. Does a curve ball really curve, or is it an optical illusion. Does a bat with a cork core really work better (that is illegal)? Is the ball really "livier" now than it was last season because someone in the plant screwed around with the core or the stitching (could be just be global warming too, of course--and the Denver team chills and humidifies the game balls because the lighter air at their height allows the ball to travel farther and the pitchers give up more home runs)? Does a "spitball" (also illegal) really give the pitcher an advantage? If you "scuff" the ball, does that affect the aerodynamics enough to alter its course (and if so how can you control it)? People have to have something to talk about if they aren't starters and, like all pitchers, spend most of the season on the bench. And anyone who comes up with a real answer is a killjoy who spoils the fun.There are many suggestions, some I think more likely than others, in this discussion:
One interesting contribution says:
Contemporary illustrations show that when running on tracks was revived in the nineteenth century, clockwise running was probably just as common. Oxford and Cambridge universities ran clockwise - Oxford until 1948, Cambridge until some time later. The first modern Olympic Games in Athens (1896 and 1906) and Paris (1900) used the clockwise direction, but in 1906 there were complaints, as many countries had by then settled for the anti-clockwise practice. From 1908 the Games have all been run 'left hand inside'.
One suggestion that hasn't come up here is that if you're running anti-clockwise, centrifugal force works to help blood flow through the heart, if you're running clockwise it hinders it. I've no idea whether there's any merit in that.
Naraku
Draconarius
I can't explain foot racers, but I know the reason NASCAR racers turn left.
In the early days, racers ran souped-up versions of regular cars (hence the term "stock car racing") and ran on flat dirt tracks. Because the steering wheel was on the right, turning to the left made it easier to see what was ahead. It was also safer because most impacts would be on the right side and there would be more car between the driver and whatever hit them. Of course, since things like helmets and seat belts were optional and rare, guys still got killed. Today, although the cars are stock in name only, the driver still sits on the left and the tracks are now designed for left turns only (except for road courses).
A toy of all things provides or best evidence that Roman chariot races ran counterclockwise. Though it doesn't explain why.
www.seeker.com
In the early days, racers ran souped-up versions of regular cars (hence the term "stock car racing") and ran on flat dirt tracks. Because the steering wheel was on the right, turning to the left made it easier to see what was ahead. It was also safer because most impacts would be on the right side and there would be more car between the driver and whatever hit them. Of course, since things like helmets and seat belts were optional and rare, guys still got killed. Today, although the cars are stock in name only, the driver still sits on the left and the tracks are now designed for left turns only (except for road courses).
A toy of all things provides or best evidence that Roman chariot races ran counterclockwise. Though it doesn't explain why.
This Secret Feature Kept Ancient Roman Chariots From Crashing
Close examination of an ancient toy chariot has revealed a clue to what helped lead ancient Roman charioteers to victory.
StarbuckSlut
Magistrate
How does this answer his question in anyway....lol
Hugin&Munin
Presenter Of Images
So here are some theories for the running direction in stadium laps, found in Fitbook (a kind of sport Wikipedia)
By Carolin Berscheid | July 23, 2020, 9:03 p.m.
The running direction in the stadium on the tartan track is always to the left. "Ghost runners" who run in the other direction are very reluctant to see and are punished by their fellow travelers with exasperated looks. But why is the stadium running counterclockwise? FITBOOK has the answer.
Left-hand traffic on the track has been anchored in the official rules of the International Lightweight Association (IAAF) since 1913. Opinions differ as to why running around to the left in the stadium is a runner's law. In the following we have an overview of the most frequently represented theories - and of course the correct answer!
Five theories why you walk around to the left in the stadium
1. It was pure coincidence
Sometimes it is said that the whole thing was just pure coincidence. When the rules for athletics were drawn up in 1913, the lot was decided. To the left won and so it was decided.
2. Walking to the left is human nature
Others are of the opinion that walking to the left is human nature. For example, it has been found that if you send someone out into the desert with no guidance and ask to walk straight, they are most likely to make a big left turn (if they are right-handed).
3. From an anatomical point of view, it's better
Another theory is based on the fact that walking to the left is supposed to accommodate the physical abilities of a runner. In the curve, for example, the left arm does not have to swing as far as the right. Because to keep swinging you need more strength. Right-handers generally have more of this in their arms on the right side and can therefore not swing as far on the left.
Running to the left is also said to promote blood flow to the left hemisphere, which is particularly stressed when running. If you run counter-clockwise, you have a slight incline. As a result, the heart does not have to use as much force to pump blood to the brain.
Also interesting: when and how often should you change your running shoes?
4. For the viewer's love, anti-clockwise
Others claim that the direction of travel was determined for the audience's love. As a spectator, you are used to looking from left to right and can thus better observe the runners passing by.
5. Walking to the left is an ancient tradition
The fifth theory blames our ancient Greek ancestors for this. The left turn would have had a tradition in ancient times, just as the poets Homer and Sophocles passed on in their dramas. They pointed out that chariot races were always counter-clockwise. Why was that so? Probably due to the fact that the reins of the horses were held with the left hand. The charioteer waved a whip or a weapon with his right hand. Left turns, in which you pulled the reins with your left hand, were generally easier for her to take.
Also interesting: running challenge - FITBOOK editor wants to run 10km in under 45 minutes
But why should this have been carried over to the athletes? A question to which even sports historians did not have a plausible answer for a long time. Sports physiologists came up with a possible cause: Most people are "right-footed" people. This means that the imprint of your right leg is stronger and the crotch about two to three centimeters longer than the left leg. The ancient athletes, however, did not run an oval, but turned around at a turning point. The turn to the left could be done much faster with the right leg. It was suspected that this technique was simply adopted into modern times and therefore now runs counterclockwise on the round in the oval.
By Carolin Berscheid | July 23, 2020, 9:03 p.m.
The running direction in the stadium on the tartan track is always to the left. "Ghost runners" who run in the other direction are very reluctant to see and are punished by their fellow travelers with exasperated looks. But why is the stadium running counterclockwise? FITBOOK has the answer.
Left-hand traffic on the track has been anchored in the official rules of the International Lightweight Association (IAAF) since 1913. Opinions differ as to why running around to the left in the stadium is a runner's law. In the following we have an overview of the most frequently represented theories - and of course the correct answer!
Five theories why you walk around to the left in the stadium
1. It was pure coincidence
Sometimes it is said that the whole thing was just pure coincidence. When the rules for athletics were drawn up in 1913, the lot was decided. To the left won and so it was decided.
2. Walking to the left is human nature
Others are of the opinion that walking to the left is human nature. For example, it has been found that if you send someone out into the desert with no guidance and ask to walk straight, they are most likely to make a big left turn (if they are right-handed).
3. From an anatomical point of view, it's better
Another theory is based on the fact that walking to the left is supposed to accommodate the physical abilities of a runner. In the curve, for example, the left arm does not have to swing as far as the right. Because to keep swinging you need more strength. Right-handers generally have more of this in their arms on the right side and can therefore not swing as far on the left.
Running to the left is also said to promote blood flow to the left hemisphere, which is particularly stressed when running. If you run counter-clockwise, you have a slight incline. As a result, the heart does not have to use as much force to pump blood to the brain.
Also interesting: when and how often should you change your running shoes?
4. For the viewer's love, anti-clockwise
Others claim that the direction of travel was determined for the audience's love. As a spectator, you are used to looking from left to right and can thus better observe the runners passing by.
5. Walking to the left is an ancient tradition
The fifth theory blames our ancient Greek ancestors for this. The left turn would have had a tradition in ancient times, just as the poets Homer and Sophocles passed on in their dramas. They pointed out that chariot races were always counter-clockwise. Why was that so? Probably due to the fact that the reins of the horses were held with the left hand. The charioteer waved a whip or a weapon with his right hand. Left turns, in which you pulled the reins with your left hand, were generally easier for her to take.
Also interesting: running challenge - FITBOOK editor wants to run 10km in under 45 minutes
But why should this have been carried over to the athletes? A question to which even sports historians did not have a plausible answer for a long time. Sports physiologists came up with a possible cause: Most people are "right-footed" people. This means that the imprint of your right leg is stronger and the crotch about two to three centimeters longer than the left leg. The ancient athletes, however, did not run an oval, but turned around at a turning point. The turn to the left could be done much faster with the right leg. It was suspected that this technique was simply adopted into modern times and therefore now runs counterclockwise on the round in the oval.