How to get into track and field?

Question

In high school, what should I know? How is your event picked?

Answer 1

Try out all the different events. Pick the one you enjoyed doing the most and stick with it...you'll get better!

Answer 2

This may vary according to your school district/state. What I'm listing is according to my state's high school events, approximately. I don't remember the relays exactly too well.

Sprints: 100m(straightaway), 200m(the beginning of a curve to the end of the straightaway) and 400m(one lap)

Long distance: 800m(two), 1600m(four), then 3200m(eight)

Hurdles: 110m, 300m

Relays: 4x100m, 4x200m, 4x400m, 4x800.

Field events: Long jump, high jump, triple jump, pole vault, shot put, discus.

If you need to see what these events are like, Wikipedia has a decent explanation. Generally, your coaches will put you into an event that is suited best to you. For example, you have great leaping ability and a high vertical jump. Your coaches will probably place you into the long jump, high jump or triple jump. But I'm sure if you request to be placed into a certain event that you wish to try, they'll probably let you try it for one meet or try it during practice.

Back in middle school, I was horribly slow. I only ran the 100m dash in the 5th and 6th grade, but I never placed anywhere high. I also did long jump, which, surprisingly, I was decent at. So I was in long jump for all four years of middle school. I was placed in the 400m and 800m runs in the 7th and 8th grade. I came in last for those. I have no endurance whatsoever.

Then last year, I entered high school and the only sport I did was track and field. I decided that since I only ran the 100m for two years, I wouldn't put it down on the signup sheet. I put down long jump, 400m and 800m for my previous events. I was placed into the long distance crew, but I told my coach that I was going into the sprints, but the first meet went by and I only participated in the long jump. I did horrible, so I dropped out of long jump and went into the sprints for the rest of the season.

The next meet came by and I was finally running the 100m dash for the first time in 4 years. It turns out, I placed around 3rd for my heat, and got... probably 5th best time for the Fresh/Soph runners. Not too shabby. I'm not Olympic fast, but I'm relatively fast compared to the other 100m Fresh/Soph runners. 200m and 400m, not so hot. I came in dead last, but I now know that I can run the 100m dash decently, and that's the one I try my hardest in.

Now, if you think your speed and acceleration is good, then go for a sprint. If your speed, acceleration and stamina are good, then go for long distance events. But depending on how you fare in events, your coaches will probably move you around until you find something you're good at.