At a high school or world level track meet, the field events are as interesting as the racing.

By Christopher Cudworth

When was the last time you witnessed real competition? Live, dramatic, inspiring?

It’s not too late to get a dose of real inspiration. The girls and boys state track competitions are winding up over the next couple weekends here in Illinois and across the rest of America.

United States track and field competition at the high school level is focused on qualifying for the state meet. Male athletes converge on sectional meets while the girls teams in Illinois compete at state the weekend of the 17th of May.

So this is a call to get off your duff and go see some high school track.

If it’s been a while since you’ve seen real athletes compete in track and field, you can be guaranteed to see stirring performances, especially in sectional or state competitions. There’s even a chance you’ll be moved to tears. Nothing draws out the excitement of competition, man to man and woman versus woman, like good old track and field.

There is tons to learn from watching high school track and field. It’s good to see what all-out effort really looks like. If you’ve been training in the same old distance running group each weekend and haven’t seen someone run really fast in a while, you’ll gain from the experience. The best high school half-milers (800 meter runners) will finish their races at between 1:52 and 1:55 for the distance. That’s flying, in case you didn’t know.

If you’ve never been to a high school track meet it’s a bit of a carnival. Events are going on simultaneously, and the nature of all out competition is that there will be thrilling finishes at some point. You don’t need to know anyone to participate as a fan. High school track is much better than horse racing, where animals with funny names run around a dirty oval with jockey’s on their backs. High school track athletes at the sectionals level are exceptional athletes who take their sport very seriously.

So Google your local high school track program, figure out their meet calendar and go. Go to the meet. Pay the $5.00 admission fee. Grab a burger and a Coke at the inevitable concession stand, or bring along a healthy picnic lunch and settle in. Choose a seat high enough in the stands to see the whole track. Bring binoculars, preferably a set of 10×32 power but 7 X 35 will do.

Learn the meet schedule so that you know what’s coming up. There is an elegant design to how track meets are conducted, and knowing a little bit about when qualifying races are run, versus finals, can help you enjoy the meet. Usually there’s a program handed out telling you the schedule for the day.

It’s almost guaranteed that at some point during the day a race will tighten and you’ll see two or three athletes running stride for stride down the backstretch. Something in you will choose one athlete or the other, or you’ll simply wish to see a truly great race. And then it happens. Both runners emerge on the final straight neck and neck. You can see the strain in their faces and voices raise in anticipation as they sprint to the finish.

Or watch the relays. So much strategy, yet so much speed. Exchanges count. Only the best conditioned teams win, but if they miss the handoffs, catastrophes occur.

The pole vault, high jump, long jump, triple jump, shot put, discus and other field events may be going on, depending on what part of the country or world you live in. It’s all fun to watch. A high jump over 6’5″ is a marvel. A pole over 15 feet as well. You’ll be glad you witnessed them.

At a high school or world level track meet, the field events are as interesting as the racing.

This is what you’ve come for. This is the thrill you’re seeking. This is the way sports should be, and still are. When you know where to go. And how to look. It’s all there at a high school track me. So go. Be a fan. Gain some inspiration.

It might last all year.