Editing Track and field (section)

===Sprints===
{{Main|Sprint (running)}}
[[File:100m women Golden League 2007 in Zurich.jpg|thumb|'''[[The finish of a women's 1500m race]]''']]
Races over short distances, or [[sprint (running)|sprint]]s, 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.<ref name=Instone /> Sprinting events are focused on athletes reaching and sustaining their quickest possible running speed. Three sprinting events are currently held at the Olympics and outdoor World Championships: the [[100 metres|100]], [[200 metres|200]], and [[400 metres]]. These events have their roots in races of [[imperial measurement]]s that later changed to metric: the 100 metres evolved from the [[100-yard dash]],<ref>[http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=4661.html 100 m – Introduction] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025004413/http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=4661.html |date=25 October 2012 }}. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 26 March 2010.</ref> the 200&nbsp;m distances came from the [[furlong]] (or 1/8 of a [[mile]]),<ref>[http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=4677.html 200 m Introduction] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025004419/http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=4677.html |date=25 October 2012 }}. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 26 March 2010.</ref> and the 400&nbsp;m was the successor to the [[440 yard dash]] or quarter-mile race.<ref name="400M"/>

At the professional level, sprinters begin the race by assuming a crouching position in the [[starting blocks]] before leaning forward and gradually moving into an upright position as the race progresses and momentum is gained.<ref name="100 m – For the Expert">[http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=4666.html 100 m – For the Expert] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025004431/http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=4666.html |date=25 October 2012 }}. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 26 March 2010.</ref> Athletes remain in the same lane on the running track throughout all sprinting events,<ref name=400M>[http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=4682.html 400 m Introduction] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025004425/http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=4682.html |date=25 October 2012 }}. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 26 March 2010.</ref> with the sole exception of the indoor 400&nbsp;m. Races up to 100&nbsp;m are largely focused upon acceleration to an athlete's maximum speed.<ref name="100 m – For the Expert"/> All sprints beyond this distance increasingly incorporate an element of endurance.<ref>[http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=4673.html 200 m For the Expert] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025004437/http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=4673.html |date=25 October 2012 }}. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 26 March 2010.</ref> [[Human physiology]] dictates that a runner's near-top speed cannot be maintained for more than thirty seconds or so because [[lactic acid]] builds up once leg muscles begin to suffer [[oxygen]] deprivation.<ref name=400M />  Top speed can only be maintained for up to 20&nbsp;metres.<ref>[http://speedendurance.com/2008/08/22/usain-bolt-100m-10-meter-splits-and-speed-endurance/ Usain Bolt 100m 10 meter – Splits and Speed Endurance] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911081153/http://speedendurance.com/2008/08/22/usain-bolt-100m-10-meter-splits-and-speed-endurance/ |date=11 September 2016 }} Retrieved 6 February 2013</ref>

Japanese man [[Hidekichi Miyazaki]] was the world's oldest competitive sprinter, sprinting the 100m race at 105 years old before his death in 2019.<ref>{{cite web |title=Japan's 105-year-old Golden Bolt beats his own world sprint record |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/25/japans-105-year-old-golden-bolt-beats-his-own-world-sprint-record |website=The Guardian|date=25 September 2015 |last1=McCurry |first1=Justin }}</ref>

The [[60 metres]] is a common indoor event and indoor world championship event. Less-common events include the [[50 metres|50]], [[55 metres|55]], [[300 metres|300]], and [[500 metres]], which are run in some [[high school]] and [[college athletics|collegiate]] competitions in the United States. The [[150 metres]], though rarely competed, has a star-studded history: [[Pietro Mennea]] set a world best in 1983,<ref name=150M>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/8039407.stm Superb Bolt storms to 150m record ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090518012901/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/8039407.stm |date=18 May 2009 }}. [[BBC Sport]] (17 May 2009). Retrieved on 26 March 2010.</ref> Olympic champions [[Michael Johnson (sprinter)|Michael Johnson]] and [[Donovan Bailey]] went [[Bailey–Johnson 150-metre race|head-to-head]] over the distance in 1997,<ref>Tucker, Ross (26 June 2008). [http://www.sportsscientists.com/2008/06/fastest-man-in-world.html Who is the fastest man in the world?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120523165116/http://www.sportsscientists.com/2008/06/fastest-man-in-world.html |date=23 May 2012 }}. The Science of Sport. Retrieved on 26 March 2010.</ref> and [[Usain Bolt]] improved Mennea's record in 2009.<ref name=150M />