Lane

A lane is a longitudinal subdivision of a playing area that keeps competitors in their own corridor. In athletics sprints and in swimming, each athlete is allotted a numbered lane and, in many events, must stay within it; lanes are separated by painted lines on a track and by floating lane ropes in a pool. Ten-pin bowling is also played down a lane — the polished surface from the foul line to the pins.

Lane assignment can be tactically significant: in staggered-start track events the outer lanes begin further along the curve to equalise distance, and middle lanes are often seeded to the fastest qualifiers for the best sightlines. In relays and longer races, runners may "break" from their lanes and merge to an inside line after a set point.