Favorite Lane

[IKramer]

What lanes do you prefer?
I deffinetly hate running in the outside lanes. I like being able to see my compeition. I like lane 1 a lot, but am fine till about lanes 4 or 5 on an outdoor track.

[Mansfield]

lane 2 or 3 are my prefernences, but the outside lanes do suck

[the ace]

As a distance runner the more the outside the worse because you see nobody. I like lane one the most because it feels the most natural.

[Greek God]

I hate lanes 1,2 for indoors and outdoors and the 2 outermost lanes for outdoors when running the 200. Lane 1 sucks cuz ur time will most of the time be slower than usual and the 2 outermost lanes suck cuz u never see anyone. I'll take the middle lane of the track or the lane jus inside of the middle lane of the track to be able to run right behind the fastest person.

[TonyHurdler]

I have trouble with too tight a corner in the 200 and 300h, but for 400 it's gotta be 3-5 or so. I think 4 might be my overall favorite- 'cept 3 for the hurdles. Then for the 110h anything besides the outermost, to avoid disqualification possibility for bringing trail around hurdles.

[Joe]

I try not to let my alley affect me in the 800, and just make sure I know where other guys are when I get 200m in.

In the 400 I love lane 4. I don't know why, there's just something about it.

[JSC.Rnr]

I run best* in lanes 2 and 3. Running the turns in anything 5-8 really sucks...they seem to go forever.

* -- I did run a 200 PR in lane 7 once.

[remiks]

anything 1-4 for the 200, 4 for the 400.

[LOL]

i love lane five. in the 200 i want the guy whos better than me in lane six or seven, so i can judge how much ground im making up on him, on the turn

[Cocca]

4 or higher. I hate lanes 1-2. I liek lane 3 but not enough to include it.

[Sully 800]

Lane 1 for the 400. I like being able to see everyone the entire time, and hate it if someone on the inside is catching you but you can't see them.

[Fraek]

Lane 3, i used to like lane 5, but im more of a straighaway guy.

[Sully 800]

I don't understand that logic. Each lane has the same distance on straight aways and on turns because of the stagger start. If you are on the outside it just means that your first turn is shorter and your second turn is longer. Not that you run less time on the straight away.

[rebeljumper]

ill usually take anything 2-4. 3 is my favorite

[Fraek]

I don't understand that logic. Each lane has the same distance on straight aways and on turns because of the stagger start. If you are on the outside it just means that your first turn is shorter and your second turn is longer. Not that you run less time on the straight away.

Maybe your right. for me it's just a psychological thing. If i believe it has longer straight-a-ways ill run it faster.

[Coach E]

lanes 2-5 I think are the best

[Gyro]

lanes 2-5 I think are the best
I concur.

[Sully 800]

Maybe your right. for me it's just a psychological thing. If i believe it has longer straight-a-ways ill run it faster.

whoops...i just ruined all your future races :(

[tecoach]

For the 200 I don't really have too much of a preference (anything in the middle works) but for the 400 I have to say I prefer lane 2.

[Brumund-Smith]

If you take out all the psychology of chasing people, here is the order of the FASTEST lanes to the SLOWEST lane (for the 200m and 400m)

9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

I would much rather be on the outside than the inside. Lane 1 is absolutely the worst lane on the track, especially if there is a rail. Really, I don't mind anything as long as it isn't lane 1. I'm not sure if I'd rather have lane nine or lane two though. In a 400m hurdle race, I'd rather have nine because I'm focusing the hurdles too much to worry about seeing anybody else.

[Coreyc]

Goes with the fact that you can run faster in a straight line than you can run on a curve, if im not in the middle i definitetly prefer an outside lane.

[Ecliptica]

On a six lane track, where I'm running the 200/400, lane 5. It's just the most comfortable to me, I really can't explain it.
In the 100, lane 4.

[apocalypse]

In the 200 and 400 i like being able to see people on the outside lanes cuz it makes me go faster to try and make up the stagger so i like lanes 1-4. Outside lanes r the worst the race seem alot longer.

[gazzelle5]

indoor, i'll take as far outside as possible, lane 1 makes me cut down my stride a ton and wastes way to much energy. that is unless it's banked, then the middle lanes are fine

for the 400 hurdles, i don't mind the outside lanes too much, it makes me get out faster and is less of a distraction. for the 4, middle lanes are good. B-S has got it right about lane 1

[Skibum657]

Lane 6 for the 200 because I run faster when I'm ahead. Don't know why. Middle lanes for the 100 and 400 though. Lane 6 is too near the crowd and lane 1 is just obnoxious especially with a rail. Lane 1 indoor is the worst.

[JSC.Rnr]

I don't understand that logic. Each lane has the same distance on straight aways and on turns because of the stagger start. If you are on the outside it just means that your first turn is shorter and your second turn is longer. Not that you run less time on the straight away.

Doesn't the stagger actually change the straight:curve ratio in the 200? Lane 1 starts in a straight, lane 8 in a curve, but both hit the final straight at the same time.

[Woo]

lane 2 for the 200, i like to be able to see my competition and then catch up to them, lane 1 is too tight

for the 100, i like either of the two middle lanes (4 and 5 on 8 lane track, 3 and 4 on a six lane track)

that way u can see ur competition better

[Coreyc]

Doesn't the stagger actually change the straight:curve ratio in the 200? Lane 1 starts in a straight, lane 8 in a curve, but both hit the final straight at the same time.

Depends on what track your on...different tracks have different curve radius's.

[hungso_lo]

Doesn't the stagger actually change the straight:curve ratio in the 200? Lane 1 starts in a straight, lane 8 in a curve, but both hit the final straight at the same time.

Some tracks have the start lines for the 200m farther back, so lanes 3 and down(sometimes 4) would have a straight before the curve. Like the track for Penn Relays. And some tracks start the 200 a lot farther up in the curve cuz the finish line is farther back than usual.

So the depending on the way the track is configured, the guy running in lane 3 is gonna be running the same amount of curve as the guy running in lane 8. 100m worth. But if the start for the 200 is farther back, then you're right, the inside lanes would run more curve than the outside guys.

[hungso_lo]

My favorite lane for the 200m is 3.

Favorite lane for the 400m is 4 and 5

Most of the people who don't like running in the outside lanes usually have a problem with hugging the line. Those same people are the type that lean too much on the curve.

[yellow]

i like 2 and up, the first lane makes me feel weird

[propain]

4 or 5 and down (on an 8 lane) I don't like the outside.

[ditka3001]

I'm a pretty big fan of Matt Lane.

[4evaMD]

For the ___ meters, I prefer lane(s) _______.

100: shouldn't matter, but I like 2&3, 6&7.

200: 3-5

400: 1-4

[jeffA]

My favorites:

100: lane 4, i just like the feeling of being right in the middle (3 and 5 are ok, too)
200: lanes 2-6, i don't like being too far ahead in the beggining
400: lanes 2-6, same reason

[fastfemale7]

On an 8 lane track I would have to go with lanes 5-7. 1,2 are too close to the inside... you have to cut those corners kinda close. Lane 8 is just too far out. Especially when your hurdeling and theres a fence or people around the whole track it makes me more nervous... 7 is my lucky number so that kinda helps when I get that lane..

[wilson]

100: 2-7 outside lanes are kinda weird
200: 2-4 the inside lane is too far back and u have to catch up too much and anythin outside of 4 u cant really see ur competition
400: LANE 8 IS THE WORST 1-5 r fine

[hurdlingham123]

for 300 h, i like lane 3...i really don't know why i just do. HATE outside lanes (7/8). inside lanes are ok except on tracks where lane 1 starts back in the curve..that just sucks. for 100h, i don't care too much, but i'd rather not be on the outside.

[sprinter06]

Anything but 1, 7, or 8 in the 200 and 400. I need people ahead of me. I like having the faster ones in front of me because if I make up the stagger on them, I know I'm okay. I'd choose 1 over 8 I think. Best? I don't think I really have a favorite.

[MeadeSprinter07]

In the 200 I'll take any lanes from 1-5. I don't like 6-8 because I like to see the other runners that I'm competing against. For the 400 I like lanes 4 and 5 the best, but 2 and 6 are O.K.