The 200 meter dash, more often called just the 200, is one of the more well-known sprint events in track and field.
The 200 is always run with a staggered start, due to the speed of the race, and the usually small breadth of victory. In outdoor races, it consists of half of a lap, starting on a curve. In indoor races, if the track is 200 meters, it is just one lap.
At some indoor meets, if the track is not 200 meters, this event will be eliminated. This is due to the rather ridiculous idea of running one lap, plus a little more. Realistically, most indoor races are omitted unless they can be run as some multiple of laps, plus at the most, half a lap. The only exception to this is the mile run, which is only run if the 1600 and 1500 are also not being run.
Starting blocks are used by most, if not all, competitors in this competition.
Some critics of track and field feel that this event should be eliminated entirely. They feel that it is redundant, because the winners and runners up are usually the same as that of either the 400 meter dash or 100 meter dash, due to the closeness in length. Also, since the number of runners in each heat is limited by the lanes on the track, the preliminary rounds are very time-consuming.
World Records