800 metres 800 metres The 800 metres, or 800 meters (US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of the track (400 metre track) and has been an Olympic event since the first games in 1896. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200-metre track, therefore requiring four laps. The event was derived from the imperial measurement of a half a mile (880 yards), a traditional English racing distance. Imperial racing distances were common in the United States. American high schools (in
Sprint (track cycling) for the second lap; at the end of the second lap, the second rider does the same, leaving the third rider to complete the last lap on his own. In the women's event, teams of two compete over a two-lap distance. The team sprint has been an Olympic event for men since 2000 and for women since 2012. The chariot is a short, usually one lap, race. Depending on track size, between four and eight cyclists start from a standing start, and do an all out sprint for one lap. The first rider across the finish line is the winner.