Area Sports 2011

  Wheatley Partnership Primary Schools, Horspath Track, Friday 15th July 2011 at 5.30pm

Sprints

The Start (this applies to all track events)

  1. In the short races the athletes can use a standing start or a sprint start, whatever they are comfortable with. Blocks are not permitted due to the time involved, not that any children will have them, just mentioning this to avoid any confusion on the day.

  2. The athletes should wear flat trainers. Not spikes (because of danger to other children) and not studs (because of damage to the track). The official starter will have a pistol. He will say, “On your marks, set” and then fire the pistol.

  3. The starter is there to ensure there is a fair start and everyone has the same advantage. If someone has “jumped the gun” and gained an unfair advantage he will fire his recall pistol, and the race will be started again.

  4. Two marshals will be standing down the track ready to stop the children if the recall gun has sounded but they continued to run. 

  5. The starter will be on an elevated stand, dressed in red, and at a comfortable distance from the children so that they will not “jump” at the sound of the gun.

  6. Athletes may be disqualified if they cross a lane in the sprints, hurdles and relays. Please ensure your children know this. We need to be strict on this to avoid the risk of collisions during a race. 

The Sprints

  1. Athletes run in lanes.

  2. Y4 race over 60m.

  3. Y5 and Y6 race over 80m.

The Finish (this applies to all track events)

  1. The All track events finish in the same place in front of the stand in the home straight.

  2. For safety the children should run past the finish line and stay in lane as they slow down. 

  3. The finish line is clear to see, but we will not be using a tape across the finish. This requires two more volunteers, but more importantly too many children at this age slow down at the sight of the tape and stop without going through it, getting overtaken and losing the race.

  4. Medals will be presented to the first three runners across the line immediately after the race finishes.

  5. Points are awarded to every athlete who finishes on a sliding scale.

    1. For example, in the sprints, 45 points are awarded for the first runner, 41 for the second runner, through to 17 for the eighth runner.

    2. In the field events, 47 points are awarded for the furthest thrower, 45 for the second, 43 for the third, all the way through to 17 points for the sixteenth thrower in order of distance.

  6. Points are balanced out across events, such that for any event group (eg. Y6B 600m, or Y6B Relay, or Y6B Jump, or Y6B Hurdles Race1+2) the maximum points a school can obtain is the same, 90 points.

  7. Small schools which do not enter their full quota of athletes receive balanced default points so as not to be left at a disadvantage.