Why do Runners Start from Different Positions in Some Track Races?

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In the 100m race in lanes, the race is straight and all the runners start from a straight line. In longer races too, the runners have to take several laps and they have plenty of time to come in the inner lane. In a track race, the runners on the outside cover more distance than those on the inside, as they come around bends. To ensure that everyone travels the same distance, the runners start at different positions or at staggered intervals. These positions are important in the 200 metre and 400 metre sprints, where the runners run round bends and unless they start from staggered positions, the ones on the outer lanes would end up running much farther than runners on the inner lanes.

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