Track Tests: Types, Classification And Characteristics

Athletics is a more complex sport than one might think, and The track tests that comprise it, all of them very varied, are authentic demonstrations of the great physical and mental capacity of the athletes.

Let’s take a closer look at what exactly these types of tests are, as well as see what skills are required to pass them and how many types there are.

What are track tests?

Track events are different activities that are part of athletics. This sport is one of the oldest and most practiced throughout history, being made up of different competitions in which jumps, throwing various objects and, of course, races are performed at various distances.

Track events receive this name because they are usually carried out on a track, normally an oval-shaped circuit, made up of two parallel straights that join at the ends with two curves. The measurements of the track vary depending on the type of competitions that are going to be carried out.

As an ancient human activity, athletics has been changing the amount of tests that experienced athletes have faced throughout history. What all these tests do have in common is that the athlete must have a great capacity for self-improvement, obtained after arduous effort that is rewarded in the form of high performance and resistance.

Athlete skills

In order to pass the track tests, it is necessary to have well-developed abilities, both physical and mental. The athlete must have impeccable coordination and, to achieve your sporting goals, you must undergo hard training. Athletics is not just about running faster than other competitors. It requires great preparation and willpower to achieve the objectives that one sets.

In fact, something that may seem as simple and banal as warming up is key to achieving success in competition, in addition to promoting the preservation of physical integrity and the health of joints, muscles and bones. Furthermore, the competition has the potential to be so complex that the style with which the race is started can cause valuable seconds to be lost or make one get tired faster.

These physical activities can not only involve great wear and tear on a physical level. Athletes are subjected to a strong mental load, since both before and during the competition they must react to stimuli and make the relevant decisions to ensure that they achieve a good result.

The most important types of track tests

Next We will see the main track tests that are best known and seen in international competitions

Foot races

Foot races are athletic competitions whose objective is to determine who is the competitor who achieves walk or run a distance in the shortest time possible Within the foot races we can differentiate between the following six:

1. Speed ​​race

In these competitions You must travel between 100 and 400 meters in the shortest time possible, depending on the distance agreed upon in the competition itself. Normally, the distance traveled is in a straight line, on level ground and without obstacles, especially if it is a relatively small distance such as 100 meters.

For longer distances it is more common to use the entire track, passing through the curves of the circuit.

2. Long distance and middle distance running

Middle-distance races have to be covered between 800 and 3,000 meters, while in long-distance races the distances exceed 3 kilometers. In this type of racing resistance takes on a much more important role than speed

3. Road racing

Unlike the previous ones, which are carried out within the traditional athletics circuit, road races They are characterized by taking place outside the stadium, in places such as roads or tracks The most characteristic example of this is marathons.

4. Cross Country Racing

This type of competition is, basically, a long-distance race but it It is carried out in various spaces, normally on the field itself

5. Hurdle race

It is a race in which there are obstacles along the way. It is inspired by horse riding in which the horse has to jump fences, only in this case it is the participants themselves who have to jump them.

6. Relay race

Normally groups made up of four competitors participate who must travel a distance in the shortest time possible, each of them covering part of the journey.

Each participant must pass to the next a wooden stick, called a witness, which is the object with which the race must be carried out.

athletic walking

Race walking has its origins in Great Britain. It consists of moving, walking, for a distance of between 20 and 50 kilometers. Participants must walk as quickly as they can, and always having one foot in contact with the ground

Jumps

There are many jumping competitions, depending on whether or not there is an object to help you jump and also the height to overcome.

1. Pole vault

It is a very old competition, which dates back to Classical Greece, although it has undergone modifications over time. It consists of passing over a crossbar without making it fall, using a pole as an aid to perform the jump.

2. Long jump

The long jump consists of jumping from as close as possible to a ‘starting board’, after having made a run to gain momentum

3. High jump

Similar to pole vaulting, only without it. It consists of jumping over a horizontal bar without knocking it over when passing over it.

4. Triple jump

As its name indicates, consists of performing three jumps after gaining momentum from the starting board Whoever has managed to move the most meters by doing this wins.

Releases

Throws basically consist of throwing various objects as far as possible. These They can be a heavy ball, a javelin, a disc or even a hammer which is a ball tied to a string.

Combined tests

In combined events, athletes must face several track events consecutively.

Generally, these events are ten and are called decathlon, although there are other varieties with fewer events, such as the heptathlon and triathlon.