Different Forms Of Racing
by Joe Goertz
Racing has taken a number of different forms, including foot, dog,
horse, airplane, boat, car, motorcycle and
bicycle. The object in any form of racing is
to win. Being the fastest is what makes a
champion. Coming in second rarely counts.
We know from painted pottery that the foot
race was a popular event with the ancient
Greeks. Today there are both indoor and
outdoor forms of foot racing. The most
common forms of racing are sprints, hurdles
and relays. Distances of the races vary. The
first marathon race in modern times was
organized in 1896. It was approximately 22
miles in distance. Today, the marathon is
around 24 miles. The first Olympic marathon
for women was held in 1928. Today, there are
many different marathons, usually organized
by a specific charity, such as breast
cancer, within a city. Horse racing has
also been around for centuries. The ancient
Romans and Egyptians had a fascination for
chariot racing. It continues to this day,
although it is referred to as horse and
buggy racing. There is also thoroughbred
racing, with a trained rider (jockey) on a
saddle on the horse's back. One of the most
popular forms of horse racing in the United
States is the Triple Crown, made up of three
separate races in different locations: The
Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont
Stakes. There are also races in which the
horse must jump over obstacles set up on a
measured track. Bicycle racing is an
Olympic sport today. The first known race
was held in Paris in 1865. There are many
forms of bicycle racing today, including on
and off road, mountain bike, track, BMX and
cycle speedway. One of the best known races
is the Tour de France. American cyclist
Lance Armstrong has won this event seven
times. Automobile racing began in 1894
and has continued in various forms until the
present. The races usually depend on the
distance traveled in particular types of
cars. There is stock car, drag, rally, off
road, sports car racing, Formula One
(NASCAR) and other forms of racing. While
distance is a factor in racing, speed is
usually still the most important factor. The
fastest speed recorded at the Indianapolis
500 was achieved by Eddie Cheever in 1996
when his race car reached 236.103 miles per
hour. Motorcycle racing is an enormously
popular sport, and, like automobile racing,
it comes in a variety of forms, including
drag, sidecar, and supercross. There is also
motocross racing, an amateur level sport.
WERA is the national organization for the
advancement, operation and sanctioning of
motorcycle road racing. WERA sponsors sprint
and distance races. The first aircraft
race was held in 1909, six years after the
Wright Brothers flew the first airplane. It
was held in Reims, France, and covered the
distance from France to England. A race from
England to Australia was instituted later,
with most of the entrants being commercial
airliners. It was discontinued after the
outbreak of World War Two. In the United
States, the National and Cleveland Air Races
were initiated in the 1920s. In 1929, the
Women's Air Derby was created as part of the
National Air Races. Today the Red Bull Air
Race World Series is held annually. It
features 11 pilots who compete against time
on two passes over the designated course.
Ships and boats have long been used as
racing vehicles. There have been some
unusual races as well. Even bathtubs have
been used in racing events. Depending on the
type of propulsion used, aquatic races vary
in time and speed.
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