Track basics
One lap on the inside lane of a conventional track is 400 meters, which is just less than 8 feet short of a quarter mile. As race distances became standardized internationally, 440-yard (quarter-mile) tracks, which were the standard in the United States until recent decades, were phased out. Four laps of an outdoor track equals 1600 meters this is 9.3 meters, or just more than 30 feet, short of a mile. Related Story
Track and field’s governing body, World Athletics, has established standards for the shape of tracks. The two straightaways are 84.39 meters long, and the two semi-circle turns have a radius of 36.5 meters. The straightaway where races finish is called the homestretch. The straightaway on the other side of the track is called the backstretch. The first curve is called the near turn, and the second curve is called the far turn.