Running on a track can be convenient, and it helps you avoid traffic hassles. Many runners regularly incorporate track workouts into their training. When you travel, you may be able to use a track provided by your hotel. You will have to run on an outside lane at times. High school and college facilities are usually open to the public on the condition that you use the outer lanes, according to Amateur Endurance. Knowing how to calculate the distance around a track by lane is helpful. For example, if you run in the outside lane of a standard 400-meter track, you add over 53 meters to the distance of each lap, or about 13 percent.
Step 1
Find out the length of the running track. Most outdoor tracks are 400 meters around the innermost lane. However, some tracks are different lengths. Indoor tracks may be one-tenth mile or even less. If you aren't sure, ask the facility staff for information about the length of the track.
Step 2
Measure the width of the lanes if you want to be precise. Most tracks use a standard width of 1.22 meters, or approximately four feet.
Step 3
Select the lane you want to run in, get the lane number and subtract one from the lane number; next, multiply that figure by the lane width. For example, if you are going to run in lane six, multiply the lane width by five. For a 1.22 meter lane width, the calculation is 6 minus 1, which is 5, and then multiply 5 by 1.22, which is equal to 6.10 meters. This is the distance from your chosen lane to the innermost lane.
Step 4
Multiply the distance from the innermost lane by "2pi," or the number 2 and the "pi" symbol. If your calculator doesn't have a "pi" function, multiply 2 by 3.14. For example, if the distance from the innermost lane to lane six is 6.1 meters, multiply this distance by 2 and multiply again by 3.14. In this example, you get a distance of 38.31 meters. This is the extra distance you run in one lap around the track.
Step 5
Add the extra distance to the track length and multiply by the number of laps you run to find the total distance covered.
Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Calculator
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