Why is track run counter clock-wise?

[Jnathletics]

Re: Track's axis: north-south vs. east-west

tandfman wrote ". . . Tracks are normally set out on a north-south axis, with the finish line in the southwest corner of the track."
--------
Normally?
....
However: East-West axis tracks on which I've set foot include Army Aviation School at Fort Rucker, Bellingham (WA) Civic Stadium, Boston University, Hong Kong's City Stadium, MIT, University of Nebraska at Lincoln, University of Washington, West Seattle Stadium, University of Tennessee at Knoxville -- and high school tracks I've seen from coast to coast.

(East-West was also the axis for tracks in big stadia such as University of Maryland, University of Missouri, and the Olympic Games hosting Los Angeles Coliseum -- before they were removed to provide more seats for football.)

It requires more than my limited experience to provide an "axis census." ...

Most Tracks should be laided out in a N-S axis, if they are around a Football or Soccer field. Sports field are suppose to be laided out such that the Sun won't be in direct line with the action. So, the standard is N-S and why games start after 12pm. At least that is the intent of the regulations too my recollection. Too bad some Architects and landscaping designers are more into the pretty picture then the function of the field.

I would have to assume the tracks you mention have no other sports field within the confines of the Track. (Univ of Tenn is the only one I've been too and they have a seperate football stadium.) As Track doesn't have the same issues with sun in a participants eyes as other Ball sports. Although, I would like to hear what the fans sitting on the North side of an E-W axis Track think of the sun in their eyes all meet long.

[DrJay]

I GoogleEarthed all the HS and college tracks I could find in Louisville and came up with northernmost end of track pointing (within 5 or 10 degrees)

North.....6
NNE.......3
NNW......5
NE.........1
NW........1
ENE.......1
WNW.....1
east-west alignment...3

[DrJay]

For what it's worth, Churchill Downs is just east of northeast:

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UT ... 1&t=h&z=15

[trackstar]

Re: Clockwise, Dobbin

Much horse racing runs clockwise.

Quick Silver
Hong Kong

Maybe that's a Hong Kong thing. While I'm not a regular, I've seen a fair amount of horseracing in my life and never seen clockwise racing.

[Spiritual Warrior]

It is a conspiracy against left-handed people.

I lost several races to right handed runners because of this.

How in the world did you know they were right handed, unless you are talking about relay events?

I can't ever recall thinking during a race if someone was left or right handed. I was mainly watching the spikes on the feet if I was next to or directly behind someone.

SW

[runforlife]

If counterclockwise is so good, maybe clocks should go counterclockwise..

That's impossible because if clocks went counterclockwise it would then be clockwise and clockwise now would then be counterclockwise.

[RAP]

Re: Track's axis: north-south vs. east-west

tandfman wrote ". . . Tracks are normally set out on a north-south axis, with the finish line in the southwest corner of the track."
--------
Normally?

Yes, I have seen North-South axis, notably Eugene's Hayward Field. (But, before finish-line cameras and fully automatic timing, which seem to require one common finish line, I saw some Hayward events finish at the northeast corner -- equal enjoyment opportunity for spectators in the eastside stands. The northeast corner finish is also evident at New York's Icahn Stadium.)

However: East-West axis tracks on which I've set foot include Army Aviation School at Fort Rucker, Bellingham (WA) Civic Stadium, Boston University, Hong Kong's City Stadium, MIT, University of Nebraska at Lincoln, University of Washington, West Seattle Stadium, University of Tennessee at Knoxville -- and high school tracks I've seen from coast to coast.

(East-West was also the axis for tracks in big stadia such as University of Maryland, University of Missouri, and the Olympic Games hosting Los Angeles Coliseum -- before they were removed to provide more seats for football.)

It requires more than my limited experience to provide an "axis census." More valid as a research procedure is an e-mail survey to track coaches or sports information directors. But that's a laborious task. Maybe other T&FN forum respondents could help, particularly if this inquiry was moved to its own, separate thread with an enticing subject headline.

Meanwhile, thanks to tandfman for providing an interesting topic. A track's axis, coupled with events schedule, can affect athletes performance (e.g. sun in the eyes of vertical jumpers or hurdlers) as well as fans and photographers).

Franklin Field: east-west; start/finish line: northwest
U. Texas: north-south; start/finish line: northeast

How about?: Duke, LSU, Florida, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Drake, IUPUI, Seoul, Mexico, Helsinki, Osaka, etc.
If you know, send it in. Let's look into this "NORMALLY."

[JRM]

I propose using the Pomona and Claremont McKenna tracks for studies relating to track orientation and performance differences:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&g ... 3&t=h&z=17

How's that for experimental control! (Unless track color has a psychological impact on the athlete )

[26mi235]

I propose using the Pomona and Claremont McKenna tracks for studies relating to track orientation and performance differences:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&g ... 3&t=h&z=17

How's that for experimental control! (Unless track color has a psychological impact on the athlete )

And, Pomona turned theirs 90 degrees when they put in the new track. However, the old one was dirt and a bit slower (site of several of my PRs).

[dr ngo]

Clarification

hat's impossible because if clocks went counterclockwise it would then be clockwise and clockwise now would then be counterclockwise.

And in the UK it would be "anti-clockwise."

Better to revert to the traditional opposite of clockwise:

Widdershins

[Halfmiler2]

I think I recall an old movie with a title something like A Yankee At Oxford maybe with Robert Taylor and he was running clockwise on the British track .

[Daisy]

I think I recall an old movie with a title something like A Yankee At Oxford maybe with Robert Taylor and he was running clockwise on the British track .

Any chance it was celluloid and they were running the inverse of the film? (like a mirror image)

[Halfmiler2]

I'm not an expert on movie making, but I don't think so.

[euan Track Guru]

If counterclockwise is so good, maybe clocks should go counterclockwise..

That's impossible because if clocks went counterclockwise it would then be clockwise and clockwise now would then be counterclockwise.

So it would always be known as a clock and it could never be called a counterclock.

[lonewolf]

I think I recall an old movie with a title something like A Yankee At Oxford maybe with Robert Taylor and he was running clockwise on the British track .

Any chance it was celluloid and they were running the inverse of the film? (like a mirror image)

Forty years ago this past April 10, while on a visiting fireman's tour of Prudhoe Bay, My Calgary contingent spent one night in Inuvik, NWT at the Royal Mackenzie Hotel. The Royal Mackenzie turned out to be a tarpaper covered WWII modular barracks, with which some of you may be familar. Nevertheless, The Royal Mackenzie boasted two bars; one, which served no hard liquor, for natives and one full service for outlanders. This was a variation on the Canadian liquor laws that, at one time, required separate bar entrances for men and women with a partition separating the sexes. By this time, the laws had been relaxed and passages had been cut in the partition affording co-mingling of the sexes once inside the bar.

Back to the point of this post:

It was about 10 degrees F and while we visitors were hunkered down in parkas, bare headed Eskimo/Indian kids in sweaters and windbreakers playing baseball on a snow dusted vacant lot. Curiously, they advanced around the bases clockwise, running to "third" base instead of "first" base when they got a hit.
A local said they learned the game watching reversed films of baseball games. Of course, this local had managed to get pretty soused on the stuff served in the native bar and may have been pulling our leg. He was a nice enough fellow but still I thought it prudent to decline his offer of a midnight ride in his dogsled.

Another interesting tidbit ( to me, at least) was that the Far North natives ignore the Alaska/NWT boundary and have little concept of being either Canadian or American citizens. In fact, the village of Old Crow moved a few miles from Alaska to Canada where a favorable gravel bar in a river allows scheduled air service.

I wonder if security screening has reached Old Crow?