From digging start holes with shovels to 9.58 seconds in under a century
In 1924 sprinters carried little shovels to dig footholds at the start line, and the 100-metre world record stood at 10.4 seconds. Starting blocks arrived by 1948, then synthetic tracks and better shoes. Less than a hundred years later the record had fallen to 9.58 seconds.
Sprinting is among the oldest contests there is. The ancient Olympics, begun in 776 BC, featured a single event for their first 13 editions: the stadion, a dash from one end of the stadium to the other. A double-length race of about 400 metres joined the programme in 724 BC. Greek coaches trained runners in deep sand, which slid underfoot and forced them to place each step lightly and securely, and added jumps with lead weights to build explosive power.
Foot races stayed popular for centuries. Medieval writers counted running as part of a well-born young man's education, especially one destined for soldiering. In 1691 Sir Francis Nicholson staged athletic games in Virginia inspired by British aristocrats who raced their footmen against each other, and as betting grew, professional runners appeared. In Hawaii, swift runners called kukini trained on their toes and ate a special diet, racing from a start line to a flag while spectators gambled.
The modern Olympics began in Athens in 1896 with the 100 and 400 metres, both from a crouched four-point start. Women were barred from Olympic track events until Amsterdam in 1928, the same Games that made the 400-metre track standard. Today's distances descend from imperial ones: the 100-yard dash, the furlong and the quarter-mile. Britain and the United States kept measuring races in imperial units until 1965 and 1974 respectively.
Races up to 100 metres are essentially about reaching top speed, which some of the fastest humans hit at around 60 metres; anything longer adds endurance. Starting blocks let a sprinter load the muscles before exploding forward, and runners stay in their lanes throughout, except in the indoor 400 metres. Whoever holds the 100-metre record is usually crowned the fastest person in the world.
Source: Sprint (running)
