When is the wind measured, and what does the reading change?
I · Intermediate · The event and the start · 1 of 6The wind is measured in the 100 m for 10 seconds from the gun, and in the 200 m for 10 seconds from when the first athlete enters the straight. The reading is published with the result. A following wind averaging more than 2 metres per second means the time cannot be ratified as a record. It does not change who won.
How it works
- Which races: the 100 m and 200 m. The wind is not measured in the 400 m.
- For how long: in the 100 m, 10 seconds from the flash or smoke of the starter's gun. In the 200 m, "a period of 10 seconds commencing when the first athlete enters the straight".
- Where: the gauge stands beside the straight next to lane 1, 50 m from the finish line, 1.22 m high and no more than 2 m from the track.
- The reading: in metres per second, rounded to the next higher tenth in the positive direction. A reading of +2.03 is recorded as +2.1 and a reading of -2.03 as -2.0.
- Records: "If the wind velocity, measured in the direction of running, averages more than 2 metres per second, the performance will not be ratified."
- The race: the result stands whatever the wind.
A time run with too much wind is called wind-assisted.
Tricky cases
The reading is exactly +2.0. Can the time be a record?
Yes. The limit is "more than 2 metres per second".
Is a headwind reading rounded in the athlete's favour?
No. Rounding always goes in the positive direction, so -2.03 becomes -2.0.
Is the wind measured round the bend of a 200 m?
No. Measuring starts when the first athlete enters the straight.
Why the rule exists
A tailwind makes a short race faster for everyone in it, so it does not affect who wins. It does affect how a time compares with times run on other days, which is why the limit is attached to records.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| World Athletics rules | As above | TR 17.8 to 17.13; CR 31.14 |
| Sprint hurdles | 13 seconds from the gun | TR 17.12 |
| 50 m and 60 m | 5 seconds from the gun, with the gauge 30 m from the finish | TR 17.10; TR 17.12 |
From the rule book
World Athletics, Competition and Technical Rules, 2026 Edition, Technical Rules 17.8 to 17.13 and Competition Rule 31.14. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Athletics Competition and Technical Rules 2026 (PDF).