Racing

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This article is about the speed competition. For the Argentinian football club, see Racing Club; for the Spanish football club see Racing de Santander.

$Offshore inflatable racing (Thundercat class) at Ilfracombe, north Devon, England.These boats can reach 60 mph$

Image:Aircraft.racing.arp.jpg

A race is a competition of speed. The competitors in a race try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time. Typically this involves traversing some distance, but it can be any other task involving speed.

A race to cover a certain distance may be any length, and using any means stipulated by the rules. Running a distance is the most basic form of racing, but races are often conducted in vehicles, such as boats and cars, on or with animals such as horses and in aircraft.

A race may be run continuously from start to finish or may be made of several segments called heats or stages. A heat is usually run over the same course at different times. A stage is a shorter section of a much longer course or a time trial.

Early records of races are evident on pottery from ancient Greece, which depicted running men vying for first place. A chariot race is described in Homer's Iliad.

1 List of types of race
2 Etymology
3 See also

[edit] List of types of race

[edit] Unassisted human racing

Using only the human body's own muscles:

[edit] Cycle racing

Bicycle racing:

Track cycling, such as a Points race
Road bicycle racing, such as the Tour de France
Mountain (offroad) cycling

[edit] Ski racing

Skiing with skis, on snow:

Alpine skiing such as Slalom skiing or Downhill skiing
Cross-country skiing

[edit] Animal racing

Animals alone, or with human riders on the animal's back or in a conveyance:

Camel racing
Dog racing
- Greyhound racing
- Dogsled racing, such as the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
Horse-racing, see also United Kingdom horse-racing and Equestrianism
- Chariot racing
- Flat racing
- Thoroughbred horse races, such as Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing or a Derby.
- Trotting
- Steeplechase
Pigeon racing
Pig racing

[edit] Other types

Some races involve multiple modes of transport:

[edit] Etymology

The word race comes from a Viking word. This Viking word arrived in France during the invading of Normandy and gave the word raz which means "swift water" in Brittany; it can be found in "Pointe du Raz" (the most western point of France, in Brittany), and "raz-de-marée" (tsunami).

A race and its name are often associated with the place of origin, the means of transport and the distance of the race. As a couple of examples, see the Dakar Rally or the Athens marathon.