Staggering and unwinding on an athletics track: interesting curves

Abstract

With the London 2012 Olympics coming up, now is a good time for teachers to turn to track and field athletics for an application that has the potential to be intrinsically interesting to many pupils in schools new undergraduates. In this article, curves, well-known amongst former generations of pupils, are revisited by looking at the markings on the track for competitors in a range of events. Reciprocal spirals and involutes of circles emerge. These describe staggered starts and curved start lines, respectively. Modelling and other practical tasks based on measurements laid down by the IAAF are discussed.