The Century of the 100 Metres

The Olympic 100-meter dash is the world's most famous sprint, yet it was not always the shortest race. For a brief period in the early 1900s, athletes competed in a 60-meter dash instead.

While the 100-meter sprint is now considered the pinnacle of track athletics, the Olympic program once experimented with even shorter distances. During the 1900 and 1904 games, the 60-meter race shared the spotlight before organizers settled on the current standard. Since then, the 100-meter event has become the ultimate test of human explosive power. It remains the most high-profile competition held on the track today.