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Round and round Athletics tracks are always run anticlockwise. Does this favour particular runners? Races could surely be run either way, so why never clockwise?Peter Hallberg, Stockholm, Sweden(Image: dlritter, stock.xchng)
Editorial status: In magazine. (3 votes) average rating:2.67 There are 54 answer(s) for this question. View answers \| Submit an answer

Answered by Anonymous
on 2008-10-31 13:50:00

(no votes)

In military parades it seems to be the tradition to march so that you have the king or general on your right hand side when passing him. This is probably both due to the salutation by the right hand and that it's easier to present weapons (held in the right hand) this way. On an arena this translates into a counterclockwise march.

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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2009-07-01 17:31:31

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Categories: Human Body.

Tags: human body, unanswered, domestic science.

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Round and round Athletics tracks are always run anticlockwise. Does this favour particular runners? Races could surely be run either way, so why never clockwise?Peter Hallberg, Stockholm, Sweden(Image: dlritter, stock.xchng)
Editorial status: In magazine. (3 votes) average rating:2.67 There are 54 answer(s) for this question. View answers \| Submit an answer

Answered by Judd
on 2008-10-31 16:27:00

(no votes)

"European horsetracks run clockwise."Not true.

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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2009-07-01 17:31:31

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none

Categories: Human Body.

Tags: human body, unanswered, domestic science.

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Round and round Athletics tracks are always run anticlockwise. Does this favour particular runners? Races could surely be run either way, so why never clockwise?Peter Hallberg, Stockholm, Sweden(Image: dlritter, stock.xchng)
Editorial status: In magazine. (3 votes) average rating:2.67 There are 54 answer(s) for this question. View answers \| Submit an answer

Answered by Stroemme
on 2008-10-31 17:44:00

(no votes)

Maybe you run counterclockwise because you "run against the clock!"

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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2009-07-01 17:31:31

Member status
none

Categories: Human Body.

Tags: human body, unanswered, domestic science.

Report abuse

Round and round Athletics tracks are always run anticlockwise. Does this favour particular runners? Races could surely be run either way, so why never clockwise?Peter Hallberg, Stockholm, Sweden(Image: dlritter, stock.xchng)
Editorial status: In magazine. (3 votes) average rating:2.67 There are 54 answer(s) for this question. View answers \| Submit an answer

Answered by mixer
on 2008-11-01 06:23:00

(no votes)

Its the for the same reason we keep to the left - to keep our right sword-hand ready for a fight.

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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2009-07-01 17:31:31

Member status
none

Categories: Human Body.

Tags: human body, unanswered, domestic science.

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Round and round Athletics tracks are always run anticlockwise. Does this favour particular runners? Races could surely be run either way, so why never clockwise?Peter Hallberg, Stockholm, Sweden(Image: dlritter, stock.xchng)
Editorial status: In magazine. (3 votes) average rating:2.67 There are 54 answer(s) for this question. View answers \| Submit an answer

Answered by Anonymous
on 2008-11-02 15:26:00

(no votes)

I don't know if this have something to do with it but, in most ancient cultures, anti-clockwise is considered the natural movement of the universe (see for example the Swastika), and it's supposed to be a pattern of that movement in nature like, for example, the flow of the blood on the circulatory system.

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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2009-07-01 17:31:31

Member status
none

Categories: Human Body.

Tags: human body, unanswered, domestic science.

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Round and round Athletics tracks are always run anticlockwise. Does this favour particular runners? Races could surely be run either way, so why never clockwise?Peter Hallberg, Stockholm, Sweden(Image: dlritter, stock.xchng)
Editorial status: In magazine. (3 votes) average rating:2.67 There are 54 answer(s) for this question. View answers \| Submit an answer

Answered by Anonymous
on 2008-11-03 14:08:00

(no votes)

As a younger man football (soccer) was one of my favourite sports. When heading a ball from a corner it felt much more comfortable to head it on my left side rather than right. Don't know why but are there any other footballers who felt more comfortable heading the ball the other way? If so are you left or right handed?

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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2009-07-01 17:31:31

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none

Categories: Human Body.

Tags: human body, unanswered, domestic science.

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Round and round Athletics tracks are always run anticlockwise. Does this favour particular runners? Races could surely be run either way, so why never clockwise?Peter Hallberg, Stockholm, Sweden(Image: dlritter, stock.xchng)
Editorial status: In magazine. (3 votes) average rating:2.67 There are 54 answer(s) for this question. View answers \| Submit an answer

Answered by stu1666
on 2008-11-06 20:42:00

(no votes)

I run often and always in an anti-clockwise direction which I believe is due to the fact that I am right handed. My right leg feels stronger which fits turning in that direction, in the same way that racing cars put extra force on the front right wheel when turning in that direction. Maybe left handed runners are at a disadvantage?

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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2009-07-01 17:31:31

Member status
none

Categories: Human Body.

Tags: human body, unanswered, domestic science.

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Round and round Athletics tracks are always run anticlockwise. Does this favour particular runners? Races could surely be run either way, so why never clockwise?Peter Hallberg, Stockholm, Sweden(Image: dlritter, stock.xchng)
Editorial status: In magazine. (3 votes) average rating:2.67 There are 54 answer(s) for this question. View answers \| Submit an answer

Answered by Anonymous
on 2008-11-06 20:51:00

(no votes)

It may tie in with handedness, which does extend to the lower limbs. A person, blindfolded, turned loose in an empty field, and set walking, will nearly always end up tracing a gradual circular or near circular path because the dominant half of the body will take slightly longer strides. This is normally offset when walking by our use of visual reference points, so the removal of reference points is needed to see it in effect. For the same reason, people lost in a forest, where there are no strong reference points, often end up "walking in circles." Races longer than 100m require at least one turn in order to fit within the stadium, and as right-side body dominance is higher than left-side, it may have become a matter of the preference of the masses to work with their natural tendency to curve to the left rather than against. This may well work against lefties, who would have to fight the natural tendencies of their bodies.

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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2009-07-01 17:31:31

Member status
none

Categories: Human Body.

Tags: human body, unanswered, domestic science.

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Round and round Athletics tracks are always run anticlockwise. Does this favour particular runners? Races could surely be run either way, so why never clockwise?Peter Hallberg, Stockholm, Sweden(Image: dlritter, stock.xchng)
Editorial status: In magazine. (3 votes) average rating:2.67 There are 54 answer(s) for this question. View answers \| Submit an answer

Answered by TerryL
on 2008-11-19 04:25:00

(no votes)

I'm a runner (of no great talent) whose body is slightly larger on the left side. My left leg is, therefore, slightly longer than my right, so I'd appreciate it of running tracks were reversed, say every 10 years. I'm sure that I would be faster in a clockwise direction.By the way, horse race tracks in Melbourne are anticlockwise but in Sydney they're clockwise.

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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2009-07-01 17:31:31

Member status
none

Categories: Human Body.

Tags: human body, unanswered, domestic science.

Report abuse

Round and round Athletics tracks are always run anticlockwise. Does this favour particular runners? Races could surely be run either way, so why never clockwise?Peter Hallberg, Stockholm, Sweden(Image: dlritter, stock.xchng)
Editorial status: In magazine. (3 votes) average rating:2.67 There are 54 answer(s) for this question. View answers \| Submit an answer

Answered by mark
on 2008-12-02 12:48:00

(no votes)

It's just because most people are right-handed. Thus people who are right-hand will have a tendency to twist from right to left which a natural throwing motion

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