Running lanes of a refurbished track at Los Angeles City College are each painted a colour of the rainbow pride flag to advocate for the equality and inclusivity of LGBT+ athletes.

Using 20 years of track and field data from the International Association of Athletics Federations, I found that the long-held beliefs about lane advantages are not supported by the data.

The running track at Latrobe’s Memorial Stadium is seen on Tuesday, July 9, 2024. Greater Latrobe School District is considering expanding the track from six lanes to eight lanes.