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Optimal geometry for oval sprint tracks
1Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
Journal of Biomechanics
|January 1, 1990
Abstract:
Track aspect ratio is defined as the percentage of lap length devoted to turns on an oval running track. Equations based on experiments are developed to model a composite runner with a specified top speed, during an acceleration phase in the straightaways and a centripetal phase in the turns. We calculate velocity deficits for several common track sizes over the range of aspect ratios and predict that, under our assumptions, a perfect circle is the optimal track shape.