Amorphous Race

We start with a large level field, covered with a surface which allows easy running in any direction. There is no special "track" for this race, although there is a marked starting line.

Equip each athlete with a device that can act as a high accuracy odometer -- an advanced GPS with an odometer mode, or perhaps something like the Nike/Ipod gadget.

All the racers begin on a marked circle, equally spaced around the edge, facing towards the circle's center, and would begin on starting blocks. The starting blocks would be specially designed to retract into the field, once the racers have begun running.

The athletes start running when a gun is fired. They can go in any direction they want, so long as they don't collide with other runners, or leave the field.

The distance each athlete has traveled is continuously displayed for onlookers. The first athlete whose total distance traveled equals the target number of miles, wins.

This sport requires not just speed, but strategy -- whether one will run in a circle or other pattern, clockwise or counterclockwise, whether it's a good idea to try and distract other competitors or just try to run fast, and how to deal with competitors who are trying to distract / slow you down.

This can also be a team sport -- the first team whose total distance traveled equals or exceeds a target distance wins.

As a team sport, team members could be assigned different tasks, such as offense, defense, and scoring. If there are a reasonable number of members on each team, a "race" between as few as two teams could be fun to watch.