Starting blocks
Encyclopedia
Starting blocks are a device used in the sport of Track and Field
, known worldwide as Athletics, by sprinters
to hold their feet at the start of a race so they don't slip as they push out at the sound of the gun. For most levels of competition, including all high level International competition, starting blocks are now mandatory equipment for the start of sprint races.
The first starting blocks are credited to being invented by Australia
n Charlie Booth
and his father in 1929.
Prior to their invention, runners would dig holes in the dirt track. Trowels were provided at the start of races. This was not the most consistent or stable system. It also was destructive to the track surface with the holes having to be filled for subsequent runners.
Wood was the first material used, with some tracks having permanently placed wooden structures at the start line. Portable blocks were held by long metal spikes that needed to be pounded into the ground. These devices evolved to metal blocks. The common blocks of the 1960s were heavy and adjusted by screws that were frequently broken or became rusted over the years. Lighter weight blocks were made of sheet metal. The rubberized surfaces of new All-weather running track
s that became common starting in the 1970s, made the old blocks even less secure. Original Tartan track
s left long holes to secure the blocks but most tracks required blocks to be held by small spikes similar to the ones used in shoes. Block slippage was common enough, it is an allowable loophole in the rules to recall the start of a race, without calling a "false start" against an athlete. In some amateur settings, such as high school track, since block slippage is much more common due to lower quality track surface material and/or starting blocks' spike quality, it is a commonly accepted practice to allow another person (usually a teammate) to sit on the ground behind the starting block and place their feet behind each block, using their leg power to further reduce the chance for the blocks to slip back upon the runner launching out of them.
Modern blocks used for world records now must have sensors that detect the pressure from the athlete and can be used to time their reaction to the starting gun. Athletes who react faster than 100/1000ths of a second (one tenth of a second) can be charged with a false start and the race recalled. Many also carry electronic speakers so the sound of the gun arrives at the ears of the athletes at exactly the same time.
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, known worldwide as Athletics, by sprinters
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
to hold their feet at the start of a race so they don't slip as they push out at the sound of the gun. For most levels of competition, including all high level International competition, starting blocks are now mandatory equipment for the start of sprint races.
The first starting blocks are credited to being invented by Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Charlie Booth
Charlie Booth
Charlie Booth was an Australian athlete.In the 1930s, he was a champion runner who participated in several Stawell Gifts, until a victory in 1939. He was also a fitter and turner apprentice...
and his father in 1929.
Prior to their invention, runners would dig holes in the dirt track. Trowels were provided at the start of races. This was not the most consistent or stable system. It also was destructive to the track surface with the holes having to be filled for subsequent runners.
Wood was the first material used, with some tracks having permanently placed wooden structures at the start line. Portable blocks were held by long metal spikes that needed to be pounded into the ground. These devices evolved to metal blocks. The common blocks of the 1960s were heavy and adjusted by screws that were frequently broken or became rusted over the years. Lighter weight blocks were made of sheet metal. The rubberized surfaces of new All-weather running track
All-weather running track
An all weather running track is the common term to describe a rubberized artificial running surface for the sport of Track and field athletics. Throughout the history of the sport, there has always been a search for a consistent surface that gave competitors an equal advantage, to test their...
s that became common starting in the 1970s, made the old blocks even less secure. Original Tartan track
Tartan track
Tartan Track is the trademarked all-weather synthetic track surfacing made of polyurethane which is used for track and field competitions. It lets athletes compete in bad weather without serious performance loss and improves their results over other surfaces...
s left long holes to secure the blocks but most tracks required blocks to be held by small spikes similar to the ones used in shoes. Block slippage was common enough, it is an allowable loophole in the rules to recall the start of a race, without calling a "false start" against an athlete. In some amateur settings, such as high school track, since block slippage is much more common due to lower quality track surface material and/or starting blocks' spike quality, it is a commonly accepted practice to allow another person (usually a teammate) to sit on the ground behind the starting block and place their feet behind each block, using their leg power to further reduce the chance for the blocks to slip back upon the runner launching out of them.
Modern blocks used for world records now must have sensors that detect the pressure from the athlete and can be used to time their reaction to the starting gun. Athletes who react faster than 100/1000ths of a second (one tenth of a second) can be charged with a false start and the race recalled. Many also carry electronic speakers so the sound of the gun arrives at the ears of the athletes at exactly the same time.