When may runners leave their lanes and move to the inside?
B · Beginner · The event and the start · 3 of 5In the 800 m athletes stay in their lanes round the first bend and may move to the inside only when they reach the breakline, an arced line across the track. Longer races start from a curved line with no lanes. With more than 12 athletes, about a third may start on a second line across the outer half of the track.
How it works
- The 800 m: "shall be run in lanes as far as the nearer edge of the breakline where athletes may leave their respective lanes".
- The breakline: an arced line 50 mm wide across all lanes other than lane 1, marked after the first bend. Small cones or other markers stand on the lane lines immediately before it.
- Longer races: started on one curved line, with positions drawn by lot.
- Group starts: with more than 12 athletes in a 1000 m, 2000 m, 3000 m, 5000 m or 10,000 m, the field may be divided. About two-thirds start on the regular line and the others on a separate arced line across the outer half of the track.
- The outer group: runs on the outer half of the track to the end of the first bend, marked by cones or flags, and then joins the others.
- Same distance: the second line is placed so that all the athletes run the same distance.
- The penalty: "If an athlete does not follow this Rule they, or in the case of a relay their team, shall be disqualified."
- Sharing a lane: the 800 m may be run with one or two athletes in each lane.
A start that is stepped forward lane by lane is a staggered start.
Tricky cases
A runner cuts to the inside a few metres before the breakline. What happens?
They are disqualified. Athletes may leave their lanes only at the nearer edge of the breakline.
Do runners have to move to lane 1 at the breakline?
No. They may leave their lanes there. Nothing obliges them to.
Can two athletes start in the same lane in an 800 m?
Yes. The event may be run with one or two athletes in each lane, though at major competitions this is normally done only in the first round.
In a group start, can the outer group cut in before the end of the bend?
No. That group must stay on the outer half of the track as far as the end of the first bend.
Why the rule exists
If everyone could cut to the inside from the gun, a short race like the 800 m would begin with a rush for one lane. Holding the lanes for a bend spreads the field out first. The group start does the same job for big fields in longer races.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| World Athletics rules | As above | TR 17.5 |
| Local competitions | Teams may agree not to use lanes in the 800 m, and it may be run from an arced line or group starts | TR 17.5.1 (note); TR 20.4 (note i) |
| 1000 m, 3000 m and 5000 m group starts | A separate mark near the start of the finish straight shows where the outer group may join | TR 17.5.2 |
From the rule book
World Athletics, Competition and Technical Rules, 2026 Edition, Technical Rules 16.1, 17.5, 20.4 and 20.5. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Athletics Competition and Technical Rules 2026 (PDF).