These are visual aids for the verbal explanation on track markings which you might want to read. I've chosen the track at California State University, Northridge as my first example. Below each picture are the notes.

This is not a perfect track and I will elaborate on the mistakes they have made. But I did not pick this track to bag on CSUN, quite the contrary. Of all the tracks in my immediate area, this is the BEST marked track. In fact they have put some good ideas into place, which I will also point out. They also have used most of the options I have mentioned.

They obviously have a steeplechase pit built on the outside. That is a dotted line leading the (measured) course to and from the pit. In the foreground, the chute is cut into a hillside. At 140m, this is more straightaway than is necessary.

One particularly good thing they have done is mark what the lines mean--most tracks do not do this. So here the common finish is easy to find. The upside down 100M and 110M in lane 9 shows this is (frequently) the start line for races run in the reverse direction on the home stretch. They have had so much wear here that they had to repair sections of the lanes--thats what the boxes are behind the starting line. The starting blocks use spikes to hold them in place and that constant use in the center of each lane tore out a small section of the surface. The black boxes on the common finish line are for aligning the photoelectronic timer on that line. The sets of blue triangles are both for the 4x400 relay. The staggered ones are for the first exchange. Wherever triangles are used, the point of the arrow points into the zone (but its size is not specific), the flat side is the edge of the zone. The triangles in a row are all the end of the zone for exchange 2 and 3. The curved line is the waterfall start line for lap races. It is marked "10000" because that is the only collegiate race that starts from such a line, but it is also the start for races like the 1600, 3200 or a distance medley relay.

Lane 2, starting at the common finish line usually provides the definition of the track you are standing on. CSUN marked what each line means which defines their color code. From the common finish line in the foreground, the first line is the reverse 200m start. Getting artistic, I included the inset to show a close up of what is at this line. The blue line (which should be green) almost on top of the white line is the 800m 1 turn stagger line. These are two different lines for the start of two different races--while they are used interchangably at most tracks because they are so close, they are not interchangable. The photo below shows how the 800m start lines progressively get further away from the white reverse 200m start lines as you move out in lanes. The black triangle (which should be red) in lane 3 is the beginning of the second 4x200 4-turn passing zone.

In lane 4, there are four marks on top of one another--the significant part of each mark still shows. There is the white reverse 200m start line, the blue (should be green) 800m start line, the black (should be red) 4x200 beginning of the second zone triangle and the blue end of 4x400 (second and third) passing zone. The start lines are really the front edge of the lines, while the wide ends of the triangle are the significant lines.

The 2 turn stagger is clearly marked, along with the races that apply to it. Right next to it in lane 3 are the reverse 200m and 800m (should be green) start lines. The line is the blue 3 turn stagger. Then the row of triangles indicating the end of the 4x400 passing zone. In lane 1 the triangle is split, half blue half black (should be red) to indicate this mark applies to both the 4x400 and (in lane 1 only) 4x200. Around the curve, you can see the curb is on the white line, bringing up the question of the accuracy of the measurement of the entire track.

The curbing at CSUN is definitely marked wrong. You can see the curb has broken off of its mounting screws and waves all over the place. From the inset you can see they intended the curb to mount on the white line. By the rule book, if a white line exists the outer edge should be 10cm from the curb (5cm to the inner edge and 5cm wide).

Now the question is; did they measure the track 20cm from the line, meaning the curb is in the wrong place and runners are running about 2/3 of a meter too long per lap, or did they put the white line in the wrong place and possibly measure all the other lane lines wrong relative to it? To start to answer that is; if lane 1 is 10cm wider than the other lanes, means they properly placed the curb and (we assume) properly measured 30cm from the curb. Without pulling out a measuring tape, this is really only known by whoever measured the track and possibly whoever keeps that surveying data on file, possibly the track coach. If a record is set, we are talking about 9 feet per mile, which is significant. Again, I say this not to pick on CSUN, this happens all over the place. Wherever you go, if you are an outsider, who really knows?

To answer questions above for this particular situation, I did pull out a measuring tape and found that lane 1 is just as wide as the other lanes. Then I had to go the next step, I measured the radius of the track, curb to curb (63.46cm) within the level of accuracy one can do with a measuring tape. This is only possible to do because they did mark a spot the same distance from the turn on both sides of the track--in this case it is the 300m start line and the common finish line (without this information, you could not be sure if you were exactly straight, edge to edge). Adding the 20cm to each side, and multiply by pi and the answer is the curb is in the wrong place (white line is in the correct place), thus the runners are officially running over two feet longer than necessary per lap. I guess that is better than the track being too short in any condition. Not everybody would drive around with a 100m measuring tape--in other words, we should just be able to assume things are done right at whatever track we walk onto. Obviously we can't--you should know your rules and look at things with an eye towards what is right (so you will notice if anything is wrong). We should consider ourselves fortunate we even have a curb here. So many tracks these days are being built without a curb, even though the rule book still calls for one for records to be accepted. And if I've put the credibility of a record at CSUN in doubt, if a record has been set at a distance over 1 lap at CSUN, it would be certainly be accepted because the athlete would have gone too far. I've probably editorialized on this enough.

The 4x200 4 turn start is the next start line in lane 2. This should be red along with the triangles that correspond to this relay. I will guess the painters made an artistic decision to deviate from the rule book because the base color of this track (like most tracks) is a redish orange and they thought it would be hard to see. I only quote what the rule books call for. The white line in lane 3 is the 400m 2 turn stagger start line. Just beyond that on the outside of lane 3 is a white box that is the marker for the steeplechase barrier that you will see in previous pictures is waiting inside of the track. There are four steeplechase marks like this, plus the water jump spaced evenly around the course the steeplechasers follow. This picture shows how staggered lines progress incrementally as you move out lanes.

Moving halfway around the first turn, you see in the foreground, the 4x200 passing zone is just completing, the 4x400 3-turn start line for lane 7 and in the circles in lane 2 are the blue 400H marks. They obviously did not bring green paint with them when they painted here, because these hurdle marks also should be green and this will become significant later around the track.

We are now most of the way through the first turn but in lane 8 we have just reached the first 400H marks and later the 4x200 start line (lane 9 is even further into the turn). The white waterfall line in the foreground is (clearly labeled) the 2000m Steeplechase start line. Over the last decade the women's steeplechase has been evolving into acceptance. At points in time over the evolution of this new event, they had prescribed a 2000m (2K) distance and then standardized the distance at the same 3000m (3K) the men run. Many colleges marked the 2K, which is still applicable in Masters and Youth divisions.

As we reach the back stretch we see they have marked it for reverse hurdles and sprints. The white start line in the foreground is the reverse 100H start line. The dotted lines show the continuation of the straightaway into the turn--lane 9 does not exist that far and part of lane 8 is chopped as well. Again the boxes indicate where they wore out and repaired the surface where the starting blocks go, particularly in lanes 3-5. The next picture on the right shows the wear in lanes 8-9 at the 100m start. They obviously practice with the men's hurdles in the middle of the track and the women's hurdles on the outside of the track. Even more specifically, that picture shows a spot in lane 8 where the left foot of standing starters has repeatedly worn a new hole (it is even worse in lanes 5-7). Doing anything in the same spot for years will cause wear. Lane 1 gets the most usage by far, that is why most tracks discourage joggers from using lane 1. My point is: the spikes from starting blocks are, by far, the most destructive force (far more than an overweight jogger, dragging his flats around lane 1).

Continuing on, in lane 4 foreground is a small yellow triangle--that is the beginning of the acceleration zone for the first 4x100 relay. The outgoing runner can stand as far back as the back of that triangle, but cannot touch the baton until it passes the next (large) yellow triangle in that lane. At exactly the same spot as that acceleration zone begins is the second 400H mark (which should be green but is blue here).

Ten meters further we are at the start of the back stretch where the staggered start lines are for the 300m (usually meaning the 300H). The dotted line is the break line for this track--which again should be green. This track has 100m straightaways (not all do) so I do not understand why that line is not actually at the beginning of the straightaway here--in fact the 1500 meter start line is measured to the same tangent and could easily serve as the same line. Maybe they just wanted it to be a different line. It does not extend into lane 1 because that lane does not break. One has to assume all the measurement of the start lines corresponds with the positioning of the waterfall break line, and in theory that break line could be anywhere on the straightaway, but normally you would give the athletes the maximum amount of straight to the tangent to break.

On the outside of the track, is the sign for the reverse 100m start line. The waterfall start line that starts in the same spot in lane 1 is the 1500m start line. It is not curved nearly as severely as the waterfall at the common finish because the runners have a full straightaway to break to the inside, so the distance on a tangent to a common marker varies much less from inner lanes to outer lanes.

Moving down the straightaway, we see three sets of hurdle marks, two blue, one yellow. The first marks, the ones only in one lane are the 400H marks and should be green. The yellow mark is correctly colored and is the womens 100H mark, the other blue mark that is in the same place in each lane is the mens 110H mark. This is how not having the correct color can confuse your hurdle crew. Think about it, your hurdle crew is usually NOT someone familiar with hurdles because the hurdlers are getting ready for their race. It would be so much easier to tell the baseball team that is working as the crew to put a hurdle at the middle height on every green mark, than to have to explain or locate these marks for them.

At the other end of the straightaway is the reverse finish line--the straight line that extends across the track would otherwise be unnecessary. The start lines for 200m (staggered) and races that involved half laps like 3000m/5000m (waterfall) are also here. This finish line is also marked for phototiming (the black boxes on the finish line). The yellow triangles are the second 4x100 passing zone (which also serve as the third 4x200 passing zone) and the black triangles (which should be red) are the first 4x200 passing zone. Again notice lane 1 has a split triangle, this time to show its dual purpose between 4x100 and 4x200. Barely perceptable is the black (should be red) small triangle (just above the box in lane 3) defining the accelaration zone for the 4x400. Behind us, that small triangle is also split in lane 1. The dotted line leaving the curb is the steeplechase course taking those runners in an arc across the track to the outside water jump and then returning them to the curb.

In the middle of the next turn we see in the foreground, the blue (should be green) marks for 400H and within the circles are black marks (which should be red) for the 300H. Those staggered 4x200 marks extend well into the turn in the outer lanes. The dotted white line continues out to the steeplechase pit, which is full of water when in use.

They just use a hose to fill the water jump and there is a drain (control in a hole next to the hose) that can be turned on and off like a bathtub. Novice meet directors should learn it takes time to fill the pit with water, if the hose is slow it could take an hour--plan your schedule accordingly. The plywood under the barrier is placed against the barrier to provide the runners with depth perception. Running at speed in sloppy wet shoes while exhausted can alter one's ability to see a 5 inch wide bar. But the proper placement of one's foot on this bar is critical to the efficient jump over the water (or conversely a brutal belly flop into it). No, you can't just go around it--that's not how the race works.

Coming out of the far turn back to the home stretch, the steeplechase course return to the turn. The small triangles in the distance are the acceleration zone for the third 4x100 passing zone. They are all in a row because the stagger is almost even by this point. Now here's the question. I have no idea what a blue triangle is doing in lane 9 here. My guess is they screwed up and painted the 4x200 zone the wrong color (or possibly this is a photographic problem). Even for their wrong colored color code, this should be black (by the rule book it should be red).

This is the normal direction 110H start line (and as indicated by the upside down lettering) is also the reverse 100H finish line. The triangles are the beginning of the relay zones are exactly the same distance from the finish line but apply to the curved lanes rather than the straightaway for the hurdles. The 8th 400H mark is also at the edge of these triangle.

Here is the 100m start line. On this track with 100m straightaways, this is the point at which all staggers resolve themselves. From here all runners are even for the final 100m to the finish. Again they have had to repair the place where the starting blocks have worn out the original surface. Notice at most major start lines for races that do not involve a break, the lanes are numbered. If you see a line painted across the middle of the end of 3rd zone arrows, that is probably 100 yards. Its not here but it still exists on some older tracks, particularly imperial tracks.

This is a chute. The CSUN chute is 30m longer than necessary here. Its not a problem to have an extra long chute, it gives you an additional area to wear out practicing sprints and hurdles. They obviously had to go through a lot of extra work to build the retaining wall with the sign to have this chute. Where space and budget are a consideration, all that is necessary is the notch to provide a 110H start line in the outside lane (plus a little room for the athletes to walk up to where the blocks are set for that race). The wider the turns or more offset your finish line, the more chute you need. Some places also have a chute at the end of the sprint straight, but I've never heard a discussion about how to finish. Some athletes take the turn, even when given the option, others go straight even when there is nowhere to go but into their neighbors lane.

Here are the various hurdle marks on this track. In the foreground circle is a fain yellow mark on the lane line. It is the reverse 100H mark--it is 10.5m before the finish line, so in the reverse direction that would put it .5m before the 10m relay zone. In the red circle is the reverse 110H mark, also a dot (this time blue) on the lane line. These marks on lane lines are this track's way to show they are different from the normal direction hurdle marks which are the blue and yellow marks in the lanes. When faced with double 110H marks, the ones for that race are always the ones 1 foot closer to the start line. If you run shuttle hurdles without making double marks; in the reverse direction (1st and 3rd leg) move the start line one foot down the track toward the normal start line (that would finish on the common finish line) and have the hurdlers finish that leg one foot beyond the normal start line. Also in the foreground are water stains in the track, evidence of continual sitting water from some offending sprinkler. The Red arrow in the distance points at the 80m start line, which has evolved over years of running youth and masters meets here. Its never been painted but has been used so often, the residue from tape being put here has left a permanent line. This 80m mark, by the way, is always at the 6th 300H mark (which of course means that mark is the same distance from the finish line). The Black arrow points at the slightly curved waterfall start for the 3000 steeplechase, which, since the pit is on the outside of the track is on the home stretch. If the pit were on the inside of the turn, this line would be on the back stretch to compensate for the shorter distance each lap is.

Here we go again with confused hurdle marks. By virtue of CSUN using the same color, blue, to mark both 400H and 110H marks, when we get to the home stretch, we get these confusing marks. In the foreground are the 400H marks, while just a few yards farther away are the 110H marks. Since there is no stagger left in the long race, they both go in all lanes at the same point. The only things that help us here are 1) the spacing for the 110H would be obviously uneven here (for that race) and 2) the fact that they have marked the reverse 110H here and we know that mark is a constant 1 foot offset from the 110H in the normal direction. Now try explaining this to the soccer team. I have run in races at this track where the hurdles were put in the wrong place and here is the reason why.

Hey, look at this. Just over 18m before the start line they even have a waterfall start for the 2 mile. The next waterfall line is the 1 mile start located just about the point on the beginning zone triangles.

And as we get back to the common finish line we see, in the very foreground, the final 100H mark (yellow), the blue triangle for the beginning of the second and third 4x400 passing zone, a black (should be red) mark for the 8th 300H and shortly after that the labeled end of the mile waterfall start.

That pretty much covers all the different marks. On a properly marked track, whether the colors are correct or not, all the marks should fall into the same relative position to one another. If the track is an odd distance, things certainly will be in a different place, but will still be relative to one another (see Chaminade HS). If the straightaways are short, alignment might be harder to percieve, but if something does not match, either you have misidentified a line or the track you are on has made a variation. As you can see from this track, they have four different lines that can serve as finish lines. There are tracks that can have a different finish line for every race (see Gilroy HS). The more they deviate from the norm, the harder it is for you to figure out what they did, which is the point. If the people who mark tracks would follow a standard and not invent new ways of doing things for each track, there would be a lot less confusion--this would be easier to teach. The standard is there, written into our rulebooks--they all agree on the points I make. I didn't write the rules but these rules define the way we operate our sport, so everyone gets a fair and equal chance to do their event.