The 800m: Rules, Records and Fantasy Scoring

What the event is

Two laps of the track, and the shortest race that is not run entirely in lanes. The 800m sits on the edge between sprinting and distance running, and it rewards athletes who can do both: hold a sprinter's pace for the first lap and then race for position when everyone is exhausted. It is the most tactical event on the track and produces more surprises than any other.

How it is run

Athletes start in lanes and stay in them around the first bend, then break to the inside once they reach the back straight. From that point it is a free-for-all. Runners jostle for position, box each other in and try to time a finishing kick from 200m or 300m out. Contact is common and disqualifications for pushing or cutting in happen at every championship.

Championships run heats, semifinals and a final. One-day meets run a straight final with a pacemaker for the first lap.

What a world-class mark looks like

Sub-1:44 for men and sub-1:57 for women puts an athlete in the world-class bracket. Championship finals are rarely won in record pace because of the tactics involved, so the winning time can be a second or two slower than the winner's best. The world records of 1:40.91 and 1:53.28 are far ahead of what is run in most seasons.

How the 800m scores in Heatsheet

The 800m fills the mid-distance roster slot, along with the 1500m and mile, and your lineup can start two mid-distance athletes. Finals pay 10 down to 1, and championship rounds add advancement bonuses.

The 800m is high variance. A favourite can be boxed in and finish sixth; a fourth-ranked runner can find the right gap and win. That cuts both ways for fantasy managers: the best 800m runners are less reliable than the best sprinters, but a mid-round pick who races smart can outscore a star. Draft 800m runners for depth rather than as your foundation. Full rules on the scoring page.