800 m

Two laps. The start is in lanes from a standing position; after the first bend the runners may cut to the inside at the break line, and the fight for position over the next 100 metres is where many 800s are won or lost. The event sits between sprinting and distance running: the first lap is run close to 400-metre pace, and the last 200 metres are about who slows down least. A runner who leads at the bell in a slow race has the advantage; one who leads at the bell in a fast race is usually about to be passed. Times are recorded to the hundredth, with no wind reading.