Starting gun puts outside runners at a disadvantage

BANG! The starter's gun begins, and the race and the runners are off. Though it's probably not visible to the casual observer, not all racers get started at the same time. Researchers have found that because sound takes time to travel, racers on the outside lanes actually hear the starting gun later than those on the inside lane and are at a distinct disadvantage.

OK, so maybe if you and I had a race, the difference wouldn't be significant. But in an Olympic race, where every athlete is elite, those 150 milliseconds can translate to up to a meter's difference between the runners -- a distance that can mean the difference between bringing home a gold or bringing home a silver medal.

Though officials are aware of the problem, no changes will be made for the Beijing Olympics. Experts say a low tone system is more fair to all runners than the loud gunshot, but it looks like this year's Olympians will just have to make do.

(photo credit: Library of Congress via pingnews on Flickr)