An interesting track and field event would be to have 8-10 runners competing on a treadmill 10 meters wide and 20-30 meters long. The treadmill’s speed would be adapted so that the leading runner(s) would always be near the front edge. A thick mat would be at the back edge for stragglers that fall off.

The winner would be the last runner left on the belt or the leading runner after a maximum race time. Differing tactics might develop to win these races such as sprinting hard at the beginning to shake off slow starters, making sudden rushes to lose part of the field or just holding a fast, flexible pace to wear out the competition.
-- FarmerJohn, Oct 22 2002

Log rolling http://www.logrolle...tures/mandyJudy.php
[FarmerJohn, Oct 22 2002, last modified Oct 21 2004]

So a sudden sprint and your opponents would disappear off the end of the treadmill? I must vote for this!
-- namaste, Oct 22 2002


This is kind of like the floating log competition (I don't know the proper name) where two people spin a log while standing on it.

To make things interesting you could 'motivate' the athletes by using a box of nettles instead of a thick mat.
-- Jinbish, Oct 22 2002


Excellent. So economical compared to building huge stadia. Good for television. Cruel, vicious and degrading (which is the part I like) especially if the nettles are really fresh. Croissant.
-- 8th of 7, Oct 22 2002


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-- thumbwax, Oct 22 2002


thumbwax, such simple charm unexpected can be breath taking. You have a magic thumb.
-- hollajam, Oct 22 2002


All the girls say that
-- thumbwax, Oct 22 2002


hey, this is *my* gutter!
-- General Washington, Oct 22 2002


Breaking the tape -- now that would certaintly create a Zeno's paradox.
-- ldischler, Oct 22 2002


I like the way [thumbs] runner's arrow of a nose sort of counterbalances his foot and ass.
-- blissmiss, Oct 22 2002


There was an idea like this in a Judge Dredd novel I read in my younger years. I'll not say this is a WICTTISITBWIBNIIWR because I would be very surprised if you [FJ] had read the same book. They have this thing they call a resyk for recycling dead bodies. Its a big conveyor belt which corpses get dumped onto then trundled along into a vast array of lacerators, circular saws, meshes and other such nastyness. instead of funerals relatives just come and watch the body trundle into the wirrring abyss.

Long story/short. In Alternative evil universe, evil ruler has same device but puts random selection of citizens on it and makes them run. Last man (or child or woman) standing gets the prize of life (or at least not death in the nasty blades). Cue neighbours, friends and relatives fighting each other trying to be the strongest link.
-- Zircon, Oct 22 2002


"Soylent Green is ..... runners up !"
-- 8th of 7, Oct 22 2002


A similar "evil ruler torturing subjects" idea was also used in (I forget which book in) Patrick Tilley's "Amtrak Wars" series of novels, but with the paddlewheel of a steamboat instead of a treadmill.
-- friendlyfire, Oct 22 2002


//Run in Place Race//

This sounds like my job. So far, I'm winning, but I'm not getting anywhere fast..
-- Mr Burns, Oct 22 2002


//looks more like he's *way* got too much time on his hands//
IHIWPST. Yeah, this one was slow - it was a 10 minute smile
-- thumbwax, Oct 22 2002


[thumbwax] could you expand on IHIWPST before I get paranoid being that I gave you a free one on me?

The *punch line, that is.
-- hollajam, Oct 22 2002


I Hate It When People Say That
-- thumbwax, Oct 22 2002


All right then. You can have *it* back.

<softly>"What part would like me to remove thumbwax?"

- Now, thumbwax, you have to respond. Okay?

<softly>Would you please expand that cryptic thingy?
-- hollajam, Oct 23 2002


Anybody wanna tell jam?
-- thumbwax, Oct 23 2002


<loudly> I Hate It When People Say That </loudly>
-- half, Oct 23 2002


...no reason to yell...(I'm sure everyone but me heard just fine...)

"And whose idea to send UB over with a bigger cryptic thingy?"

No matter. The egg was good...
-- hollajam, Oct 23 2002


...no reason to yell...(I'm sure everyone but me heard just fine...)
-- hollajam, Oct 23 2002


Depending on the length of the treadmill and its speed reaction, sprinters might instead be favorites.
-- FarmerJohn, Mar 19 2004


You could always put hurdles on the conveyor belt. Hurdles are always fun.
-- Cuit_au_Four, Feb 10 2006



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