About the 100-Meter Dash

The 100-meter dash is a race in the sport of track and field; it covers the shortest distance of all outdoor track and field events. The 100-meter dash is therefore considered the ultimate sprint race. The man and woman with the fastest 100-meter dash time in the world is considered the "world's fastest man" or "world's fastest woman."

  1. Race Location

    • The 100-meter dash is run on a straightaway section of an outdoor track. The oval-shaped track is 400 meters long. The homestretch straightaway is actually less than 100 meters; it is therefore extended with a slightly longer straight section for the starting blocks to accommodate the 100-meter distance. The 100-meter dash is run on various surfaces including dirt, cinder-covered blacktop and polyurethane "tartan" tracks.

    100 Meter Start

    • 100-meter dash runners start the race in a crouched position with their feet in starting blocks. This gives the runners something to push off of with their feet so they can get an explosive start. Since the 100-meter dash is such a short race, the start is extremely important. At the highest level, the winner of the race is determined by the runner who gets the best start. The race starter tells the runners to enter the blocks. The runners place their hands on the ground just behind the starting line and their feet on the blocks. The starter then orders them to get set. The runners raise their bodies up on their feet and fingertips. They must then remain motionless for about two seconds. A shot from a starting gun is the signal for the runners to go.

    False Starts

    • If a runner moves before the starting gun is fired, it is considered a false start. The starter immediately fires the starting gun again to signal to the runners that the race should stop. If a runner reacts to the starting gun in less than 0.1 seconds, it is considered a false start. This is because it is believed to be humanly impossible to react that fast to the sound of the gun. It is assumed that the runner guessed the moment of the start. Modern timing devices can detect these incredibly small periods of time. One false start is allowed without penalty. International rules dictate that any racer with a false start after the first one is disqualified from the race. This happens even if the racer was not responsible for the first false start.

    Wind Conditions

    • Since the 100-meter dash is run outdoors, the performance of the runners is impacted by the wind. Wind blowing into the face of runners slows their times. Wind blowing behind them enhances their speed. International rules allow a tail wind to be no more than two meters per second to be entered into the record books. Races can still be run, but records will not be recognized for wind-assisted races.

    Records

    • As of 2008, the world-record holder for men was Usain Bolt of Jamaica with a time of 9.69 seconds, run at the Beijing Olympic Games on August 16, 2008. The world record for a woman was set by Florence Griffith Joyner of the United States, who ran the 100-meter dash in 10.49 seconds in Indianapolis on July 16, 1988.