How big is a roller speed skating track?
Officials' detail · Races and courses · 1 of 2A track has two equal straights and two banked bends, 175 to 200 m round the inner edge and 5.5 to 6 m wide. A closed road circuit is 350 to 500 m long and at least 6 m wide. Both are raced anticlockwise, with a safety zone inside the inner edge where skaters may not go.
How it works
- Track length: 175 to 200 m, measured on the inner edge.
- Track width: 5.5 to 6 m.
- Bends: banked, at least 80 cm high at the outer edge (100 cm on a 200 m track).
- Closed road circuit: 350 to 500 m, at least 6 m wide (8 m better).
- Marathon circuit: at least 3 km.
- Safety zone: a No Skating Zone and buffer inside the inner edge.
- Start: never on a bend; on road 20 to 30 m before the first bend.
- Direction: anticlockwise.
The glossary has the track (speed skating), the road circuit, the inner edge, the safety zone and No Skating Zone, the start line and finish line and the flat track.
Tricky cases
Is the white inner line part of the course?
Yes. The course is measured from the inner edge, and the line belongs to it.
May a skater skate inside the inner line to pass?
No. Skating outside the course to gain an advantage is a technical fault.
Can a track be flat?
Yes. A flat track is marked out with skittles on a level surface.
Who certifies a track for world events?
The World Skate facilities department.
Why the rule exists
Banked bends let skaters hold speed safely through the turns. A marked zone inside the line stops skaters cutting the corner.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Banked track | 175 to 200 m | Art 90 |
| Closed road circuit | 350 to 500 m | Art 103 |
| Open road | Gradients up to 5 per cent | Art 104 |
From the rule book
World Skate, Speed Rulebook 2026, Articles 66 to 70 and 88 to 104. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the World Skate Speed Rulebook 2026.