Track
A prepared oval or closed circuit around which running, cycling and other racing events are contested.
Definition
A track is a bounded circuit used for racing. In athletics it is a flat, usually 400-metre oval divided into lanes; in track cycling it is a steeply banked oval, or velodrome, built for speed; and the word also covers circuits for motorsport, greyhound and horse racing. What unites them is a defined path competitors follow, most often returning to a start/finish line.
Track names the venue and its geometry, not its material — a modern athletics track is almost always laid with a synthetic all-weather surface, while a cycling velodrome is typically timber or concrete. Because a lap is a fixed distance, tracks make race distances precise and repeatable in a way that road or cross-country courses cannot.
Meaning by sport
This term is used differently across sports:
- athletics
- A flat 400 m oval divided into numbered lanes for running events.
- Cycling
- A steeply banked oval velodrome designed for high-speed racing.
Where you’ll hear “track”
Sports that use this term:
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Disciplines
- Track CyclingTrack cycling is racing on a velodrome, an oval banked track, using fixed-gear bikes with no brakes across sprint and endurance events.
- Long TrackLong track speed skating is contested on a 400-metre two-lane oval, with skaters usually racing in pairs and ranked mostly by their times.
- Short TrackShort track speed skating is contested on a compact oval of about 111 metres, where several skaters race together in a pack and finishing position decides the result.
- Road CyclingRoad cycling covers riding and racing on paved roads, from mass-start races and time trials to multi-day stage events.
- CyclocrossCyclocross is lap racing on a short off-road circuit of grass, mud, and sand, where riders often dismount to carry the bike over obstacles.
Facilities
- VelodromeA steeply banked oval track for track cycling, with sloped bends that let riders hold high speeds through the turns.
- Athletics trackAn oval multi-lane running track, usually 400 metres per lap, used for sprints, distance running and relays.
- Badminton courtA rectangular indoor court, divided by a high net, on which badminton is played as singles or doubles.
- Ice rinkA sheet of prepared ice, usually rink-boarded with rounded corners, used for skating and ice sports.
- Fitness studioAn open indoor room used for instructor-led group fitness classes such as yoga, aerobics and indoor cycling.
Playing surfaces
- Synthetic trackAn all-weather rubberised athletics running surface — firm, springy and high-grip — giving sprinters and distance runners fast, consistent, predictable footing.
- Road (Tarmac / Asphalt)Paved tarmac or asphalt: a firm, smooth, predictable surface that rewards steady pace and rhythm — the ground for road running, cycling and race-walking.
Skills Academy
Rules
- Lane disciplineThe rule that competitors must stay within their assigned lane in lane-based races.
- Direct and indirect free kicksThe two types of free kick awarded in football to restart play after a foul or other stoppage.
- False startA rule breach in a race when a competitor begins to move before the starting signal is given.
- Drafting rulesRules that govern when a rider or athlete may sit in the slipstream of another to save energy.
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- Content type
- Term
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
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- 0
- Content updated
- 2026-08-04
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