Why Does Lanes Important in an Oval Field?

The athletes who drew a starting spot on the outside of the line ended up running farther than those on the inside because they didn't have their own lane around the first turn. That's why lanes are important -- they make the race as evenly matched as possible.

Does the lane matter in track?

Since the inside lane of a track covers the shortest distance, runners in outside lanes move inward after the break. ... While outside lanes might have a small advantage over the first 100 meters, runners who have an established position on the inside of the track seem to have an overall advantage.

How many lanes does an oval track have?

Oval track with at least four lanes and safety zones measuring no less than 1m on the inside and outside.