In running, swimming, cross-country skiing, or any racing in general, the idea is to displace oneself a predetermined amount in the shortest time possible. The competitor with the shortest time, the winner, will also have the highest average velocity (or speed, depending on the curvature of the course.)

In a momentum race, however, victory is no longer determined by the highest average speed; instead, he who can attain the highest average momentum will emerge the winner. Competitors are weighed in minutes prior to the start of the race in order to determine placing. Based upon their respective masses, they are given a personalized starting position (Kg-m constant/Mass = Distance). Thus, a 200kg individual would only have to run half the distance of a 100kg person. In the end, however, both would end up moving the same number of kilogram-meters, and the one with the lowest time (or the largest average momentum) would win. Competitors are given the option to augment their mass before the competition, so long as they carry that added mass throughout the race.

I suppose you could multiply by 9.8 somewhere along the line and get the classes in Joules.
-- Cuit_au_Four, Apr 04 2006

I would like to try swimming, please. And I would select a large, streamlined, slightly bouyant mass of approximately 7 metric tons...and a distance of approximately 1 metre.
-- Ling, Apr 04 2006


A bit like handicap for race horses [C4]?
-- methinksnot, Apr 04 2006



random, halfbakery