AW promotion: There are several different track events in athletics, but which track event remains the most popular? Find out here
The main types of athletics track events are the 100m sprint, middle-distance track events that are usually anywhere from 800 to 1500 metres, and long-distance track events that can be 3000, 5000, or 10,000 metres. You also have relay race events and hurdling track events, but which of these is the most popular?
A lot of people will agree that the 100m sprint is the most popular of all track events, which means that it tends to attract more attention from spectators than any other track event. Its the fastest race thats usually over in around ten seconds, and the speed at which the runners complete the race is often what makes it so popular for sports fans around the world.
Why is the 100-metre sprint the most popular track event?
One of the main reasons why the 100m sprint is so popular is that the event is the clearest and easiest race to understand, which means that theres no real strategy involved, racers dont have to pace themselves, and its a straightforward race to see which runner will be the quickest over a relatively short distance. The current world record is held by Jamaican international superstar runner Usain Bolt, who ran the distance in a time of just 9.69 seconds at the Beijing Olympics in China in 2008.
Some sports betting people also like to place a real money wager on the 100m race at top events, such as the Summer Olympics, the Pan American Games, the Commonwealth Games, the Asian Games, and the Mediterranean Games, to name just a few major athletics events. These same people will tell you that theres nothing like having a few dollars on the race and then winning that bet.
Other famous runners who have run the 100 metres race in under 10 seconds
Some of the other famous runners that have also run the 100 metres in less than 10 seconds are the following:
- Ferdinand Omanyala from Kenya (9.77 seconds)
- Su Bingtian from China (9.83 seconds)
- Marcell Jacobs from Italy (9.80 seconds)
- Patrick Johnson from Australia (9.93 seconds)
Robson da Silva from Brazil also came very close when he ran 100 metres in 10.00 seconds flat. Several women have also run the distance in some impressive times. For example, Marie-José Ta Lou from the Ivory Coast ran the distance in 10.72 seconds, and Li Xuemei from China ran it in 10.79 seconds.
There was also Christine Aaron from France, who ran the 100 metres in a time of 10.73 seconds. Zoe Hobbs from New Zealand ran it in 11.08 seconds, and Rosângela Santos from Brazil ran it in 10.91 seconds. The current womens world record holder is Florence Griffith Joyner (aka Flo-Jo) from the United States, who once ran the 100-metres in 10.49 seconds.
More reasons why the 100m sprint remains the most exciting event on the track
Theres always a chance that someone will run the 100 metres in a world-record-breaking time. These days, it doesnt happen very often, but when it does happen, it adds to the excitement of watching the race as it unfolds. Everyone wants to see exactly how far human endurance can be pushed, and the 100-metre sprint is a great way to find out. Surely, we are getting to a point where the record will no longer be able to be broken?
For example, you would think that a runner will never be able to complete the 100-metre race in less than 9 seconds. We will more than likely see more accurate ways of measuring how fast the runners can complete the race being implemented over the coming years.
Currently, lasers are used to determine exactly how fast the race has been won for the most precise results. Also, instead of using just milliseconds, an extra unit of time (another decimal point) may be added to determine exact times, just like in Formula 1 racing, which could potentially lead to more new records being set at some point in the not too distant future.