 There are different types of starts for races of different distances . <unk> and long @-@ distance races mainly use the waterfall start . This is when all athletes begin on a curved line that moves farther out at the outer edge of the track . <unk> are allowed to move towards the inside lane right away , as long as it is safe to do so . For some middle @-@ distance races , such as 800 m , each athlete starts in their own lane . Once the gun fires , they must run in the lane they began in until markers on the track notify them it is time to move towards the inside lane . For sprint races , athletes begin in start blocks and must stay in their own lane for the entire race . 
