What are the sprints, and how is one won?
B · Beginner · The event and the start · 1 of 7The sprints are the 100 m, 200 m and 400 m. Each athlete runs the whole race in their own lane, starting from blocks, and the first to get their torso to the finish line wins. Times come from a photo finish, to a hundredth of a second. One false start means disqualification.
How it works
- Lanes: "In all races up to and including 400m, each athlete shall have a separate lane". A lane is 1.22 m wide.
- Direction: a race with a bend is run with the left hand to the inside. Lane 1 is the inside lane.
- 100 m: run on the straight.
- 200 m and 400 m: run round one bend and round a full lap. The starts are stepped forward from lane to lane, a staggered start, so that every lane covers the same distance.
- The start: a crouch start from starting blocks is compulsory.
- False start: an athlete responsible for one is disqualified.
- In the lane: each athlete must keep within their lane from start to finish.
- The finish: athletes are placed in the order in which the torso reaches the finish line.
- The time: read from the photo finish and recorded to 0.01 second.
- Wind: measured in the 100 m and 200 m. A following wind of more than 2 metres per second stops a time being ratified as a record. It does not change the result of the race.
- Rounds: when there are too many athletes for one race, heats and semi-finals decide who reaches the final.
The glossary groups these races under sprint.
Tricky cases
Does the athlete in the outside lane of a 200 m run further?
No. The start in each lane is moved forward to make up for the wider bend, so every lane is the same length.
Is the 400 m run in lanes all the way round?
Yes. Every race up to and including 400 m gives each athlete a separate lane for the whole distance.
A sprint is won with a strong wind behind. Does the win stand?
Yes. The wind limit applies to records. The placings are decided at the finish line whatever the wind.
Can a sprinter run barefoot?
Yes. Athletes may compete barefoot or in athletic shoes on one or both feet.
Why the rule exists
A sprint is decided by hundredths of a second, so everything that could give one athlete a shorter or easier run is fixed: the same distance in every lane, the same blocks, the same signal and a camera on the line.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| World Athletics rules | As above | TR 14.4; TR 16.3; TR 16.8; TR 17.2; TR 18.2 |
| Combined events | One false start is allowed in each race before disqualifications begin | TR 16.8; TR 39.8.3 |
| Short track (indoor) | A 200 m track with its own rules, which were not read for these pages | TR Part V |
| Older tracks | Lanes on tracks built before 2004 may be up to 1.25 m wide | TR 14.4 (note) |
From the rule book
World Athletics, Competition and Technical Rules, 2026 Edition, Technical Rules 14, 16, 17, 18 and 19 and Competition Rule 31.14. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Athletics Competition and Technical Rules 2026 (PDF).