Tracks

Tracks is a term used across several domains to denote a path, record, or course. In transportation and engineering, it most commonly refers to railway tracks, a pair of steel rails laid on sleepers and ballast to guide wheeled vehicles. The standard gauge is 1,435 millimeters in many countries, though narrower and broader gauges exist. Tracks require regular maintenance to preserve alignment, rail wear, and switch points, and they determine the speed and weight limits of trains.

In sports and entertainment, tracks describe courses or venues. A race track or racecourse is a prepared circuit for horse racing or motor sports, with a measured length and a defined surface such as dirt, turf, or asphalt. An athletics track is an oval running surface, typically a synthetic material, used for track and field events.

In music and media, a track is a single recorded song or piece of audio on an album or digital release. A collection of tracks forms an album or playlist, and the order of tracks is often significant to the listening experience. The term is also used for video and other digital media to denote a distinct segment.

In nature and archaeology, a track can be a footprint or imprint left by an animal or person, sometimes preserved as a trackway or fossil. Tracks are analyzed to infer behavior, movement, or species presence.

In computing and data contexts, a track can refer to a history of observations or a route. For example, a GPS track records a series of geographic coordinates over time, and a project or issue 'track' may refer to its progress or history in a tracking system.