Startbanen

Startbanen is a Norwegian term that translates roughly to “the starting lane” or “start track.” It refers to the designated lane or section used for beginning a race or event. In sports contexts, the startbanen is the location from which competitors initiate their performance and is typically marked or assigned to prevent interference.

In athletics, the startbanen is the lane in which a sprinter begins a race. Runners often start in individual lanes, use starting blocks, and wait for signals such as a starting pistol or horn. Lane assignment is important for fair competition and can be adjusted to account for track conditions or regulations.

In swimming, the startbanen denotes the lanes from which swimmers start at the pool edge. Swimmers dive from starting blocks, and the lane number identifies each competitor’s position. Clean starts and timely reactions are critical for performance and fairness in races.

Beyond these traditional uses, the term is sometimes employed more broadly in Norwegian to describe the initial position or phase in other racing disciplines or competitions. The concept remains a basic, language-level description of where a participant begins.

Etymology: startbanen combines start with banen (the lane or track) to form a practical term used across sports jargon in Norwegian. The expression is common in everyday sport language rather than a formal technical standard.

See also: starting blocks, lanes (sport), race start.