Why do athletes race in an anti-clockwise direction?

The chariot that started it all…

Why are all athletes made to run in an anti-clockwise direction when they race? Every natural occurrence in the universe has a reason behind it. To understand that, we need to take a jump into the past in Rome. The truth behind the story that follows is still up for debate, but it is believed that the decision to change and specify the direction in which races were conducted came from the utter misfortune of a charioteer who was participating in a race at the Circus Maximus stadium of Rome in the 6th Century BC. The chariot races were originally run in a clockwise direction until the poor unfortunate charioteer accidentally hit Emperor Nero, which led to his execution and a change in the manner of racing. The truth and credibility of this incident have not been confirmed to this day. Note that while anti-clockwise running may have been taking place in the stadiums of Greece, contemporary artworks and illustrations depict that this didn’t occur without fluctuations, and showcase that clockwise running races were just as common.

The audience

The Olympics is an event every sports fan looks forward to. Whenever we watch a race from the stands or on the screen from our living room, the runners are always sprinting or running from left to right. Without even realising it, our eyes have grown accustomed to this directional setup. Running anti-clockwise means the audience will see the athletes running from left to right. ‘Left-to-right’ isn’t just a direction; it’s a natural tendency that can be found in nearly everyone. The direction in which the race occurs also pertains to the wants of the audience, and has been a crucial factor ever since the ancient Olympic Games in Greece. The left-to-right tendency can even be found in reading. Think about it, unless it’s a manga series, we read content and sentences from left to right, and it has become a norm of comfort. 

Sprinting into science

Now, let’s take a look at the scientific explanation which will explain the mystery behind the anti-clockwise races. 

Firstly, let’s step into biology: the human heart is located on the left side of the chest, making the left side of the human body heavier than the right. Because of this, when an athlete runs in an anti-clockwise direction, their body would incline slightly to the left. This inclination provides them with balance and proper control over their speed.

Next, we’ll sprint to collect the batons of astronomy and physics: With the exception of the planets  Uranus and Venus, all the other celestial bodies in the solar system rotate in an anti-clockwise direction. That includes Earth, and when an athlete runs in the same direction as Earth’s orbit, time will speed up for them, giving them an advantage, not to mention the contribution of the centripetal acceleration and the force and direction of the wind. While the effect of rotation is reversed in the Southern Hemisphere, studies show that no track record has been broken past the South of the equator. Also, the origin and development of the sport took place in the Northern Hemisphere.