10 Surprising Rules Runners Must Follow in Olympic Sprint and Hurdle Events

Mar. 15, 2025

Nathan Laine/Bloomberg via Getty

Let’s run through the list of do’s and don’ts, shall we?

Athletics is the larger grouping that track and field falls under, coving a wide variety sports broken into several running, walking, jumping and throwing disciples. Among them include pole vault, decathlon, javelin and marathons.

Track and field events are exciting to watch, but therules and guidelines can be technicalif not familiar with the gameplay. Plus, when the speediest athletes across the globe are competing, those technicalities can make or break a win.

Read on for the surprising rules you didn’t know runners must follow in the sprint and hurdle events at the 2024 Olympics!

Runners must not wear transparent clothing

Team USA Noah Lyles celebrates victory and winning the Gold Medal with an American flag following the Men’s 100m Final at Stade de France.Eric W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated/Getty

Eric W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated/Getty

In every track and field event, the organization enforces athletes to wear “clean” clothing that must be “designed and worn so as not to be objectionable.” Furthermore, it states the clothing “must be made of material which is nontransparent even if wet.”

Since the sprint races could come down to a photo finish, ensuring outfits don’t hinder vision is crucial. Therefore, World Athletics states athletes “must not wear clothing which could impede the view of judges.”

Shoes are not mandatory for track and field events

OLIVIER MORIN/AFP via Getty

A not-so-obvious track and field rule? “Athletes may compete barefoot or with footwear on one or both feet,” World Athletics states.

Opting not to wear shoes may sound crazy, but there’s a clear intention regarding why runners are allowed to sport them: “The purpose of shoes for competition is to give protection and stability to the feet and a firm grip on the ground.”

Shoes are not meant to enhance their speed! An athlete’s shoe “must not be constructed so as to give athletes any unfair assistance or advantage,” the organization states. “Any type of shoe used must be reasonably available to all in the spirit of the universality of athletics.”

Depending on the track and field discipline, there are a number of technicalities around shoe construction. World Athletics outlines the specifics regarding spikes, inserts and soles allowed in competition.

Runners must wear bibs that are clearly visible

Sha’carri Richardson of Team United States celebrates during the Women’s 100m Round 1 on day seven of the 2024 Paris Olympics.Hannah Peters/Getty Images

Hannah Peters/Getty Images

All athletes competing in track and field events must wear bibs and they must be visible for identification purposes. According to World Athletics, “No athlete shall be allowed to take part in any competition without displaying the appropriate bib(s) and/or identification.”

Bib technicalities differ depending on the track and field disciplines. While each athlete is given two bibs that “shall be worn visibly on the front of the torso and back,” jumping events are an exception (“one bib may be worn on the front of the torso or back only,” the organization states).

In addition to numbers, “the athletes’ names or other suitable identification” is allowed on bibs. The bibs “must be worn as issued” and they shouldn’t be “cut, folded or obscured in any way.”

Some events like the Photo Finish System may require athletes to wear “additional number identification of an adhesive type on the side of their shorts or lower body,” according to World Athletics.

Runners' hair must not ‘impede the view’ of judges

A detailed view of Sha’carri Richardson of Team United States nails during the Women’s 100m Round 1 on day seven of the 2024 Paris Olympics.Michael Steele/Getty

Michael Steele/Getty

Track and field athletes primarily have the freedom to style their hair how they’d like during competition — though similar to the World Athletics clothing ruling, athletes' hair must not “impede the view of the judges.”

Several runners have been vocal about using their lane as their stage, particularly as a form of self-expression. Team USA’sSha’Carri Richardson, whowon silver in the 100m dashat the 2023 Paris Olympics, is one of them.

In apast interviewwithVogueabout herviral wig tossmoment at the 2023 U.S. Track and Field Championships, Richardson said “I’m not gonna change the confidence that I have in myself ever.”

She added, “But at the same time, I have learned there is a way that I can carry that so much more gracefully. That’s where that moment came from.”

Runners must wait for the starting pistol before beginning the race

Starting official John Busto prepares to start the third heat of the men’s 400 meter semi-final on Day Three 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Track & Field at Hayward Field on June 23, 2024.Christian Petersen/Getty

Christian Petersen/Getty

At the “Set” command, “an athlete shall immediately rise to their final starting position retaining the contact of the hands with the ground and of the feet with the foot plates of the blocks,” per World Athletics rules. “Once the Starter is satisfied that all athletes are steady in the ‘Set’ position, the gun shall be fired.”

Runners must use blocks and start from a crouching position for certain events

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In races up to and including 400m, World Athletics rules “a crouch start and the use of starting blocks are compulsory.” After the “On your marks” command, “an athlete shall approach the start line, assume a position completely within their allocated lane and behind the start line.”

It’s crucial that athletes “shall not touch either the start line or the ground in front of it with their hands or their feet when on their mark,” the organization states. “Both hands and at least one knee shall be in contact with the ground and both feet in contact with the foot plates of the starting blocks.”

Technicalities differ depending on the track and field disciplines, plus distances. For example, athletes participating in races longer than 400m can start in a standing position as opposed to crouching down.

If a sprinter begins their starting motion from the set position before the starting pistol is fired, it is deemed a false start. “The first false start of a race results in an automatic disqualification to the offending runner,” the ruling perNBC Olympicsstates.

Runners must stay within their lanes, though there are exceptions

Arial shot of the men’s 200m heat at the 2024 Paris Olympics.ANTONIN THUILLIER/AFP via Getty

ANTONIN THUILLIER/AFP via Getty

Depending on the track and field event, athletes are pre-assigned lanes (this incudes sprint and hurdle disciples). While athletes are to stay within their lanes, World Athletics has rules in place should “lane infringement” occur during competition.

A runner’s torso must cross the finish line to signify the end of the race

Photo finishes are exciting endings to track and field events, especially the sprints because the races last seconds long! When it comes to crossing the finish line, though, there’s one specific part of the body that must cross first.

NBC Olympicsreported that per the official rules and regulations for track and field events, “the first athlete whose torso (as distinguished from the head, neck, arms, legs, hands or feet) reaches the vertical plane of the closest edge of the finish line is the winner."

This rule, in particular, was analyzed extra closely duringNoah Lyles' photo finishduring the men’s 100m final on Aug. 4 at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Ultimately, officials determined that Lyles’ torso made it over the finish line before the rest of his competitors to win gold.

Runners are allowed to touch hurdles, but not with their foot

Slovenia’s Matic Ian Gucek and Sweden’s Carl Bengtstrom compete in the men’s 400m hurdles repechage round of the athletics event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty

ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty

Each runner “shall go over each hurdle and keep to their own lane throughout,” per World Athletics. “Failure to do so will result in a disqualification.”

Furthermore, if competitors “directly or indirectly knock down or displace a hurdle in their or in another lane in such a manner that there is effect or obstruction upon any other athlete(s) in the race, and/or another Rule is also infringed,” they will be subject to disqualification.

Cell phones aren’t allowed in the competition area

Gold medalists Emily Craig and Imogen Grant of Team Great Britain talk on their phones with their families at the 2024 Paris Olympics.Alex Davidson/Getty

Alex Davidson/Getty

A variety of rules around assistance are in place for track and field events, like medical treatments. This particularly has to do with interfering and timing within the competition area.

To capitalize on the assistance ruling, certain devices are “considered assistance.” Among them include “video recorders, radios, CD, radio transmitters, mobile phone or similar devices” — all of which are not allowed in the competition area.

source: people.com