Usain Bolt’s 100-meter world record of 9.58 seconds, set at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, has long been considered untouchable.
For over a decade, no sprinter has come close to breaking it, Bolt himself holds the three fastest times in history, cementing his status as the greatest sprinter of all time.
But a groundbreaking innovation in track technology could soon rewrite the record books, potentially making the once-unthinkable sub-nine-second 100-meter dash a reality.
The track That could change sprinting forever
While running shoes, training techniques, and athlete nutrition have advanced dramatically over the years, one aspect of sprinting has remained largely unchanged since the 1960s, the track itself.
Feldspar Sport, a UK-based tech company founded by former athlete Alvina Chen, has developed a high-performance running surface that could revolutionize sprinting speeds.
In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Chen pointed out that experts have overlooked track surfaces in the evolution of sprinting.
“There have been a lot of evolutions in running shoes, training methods, and nutrition,” she said.
“But the current rubber synthetic track was introduced in the 1968 Olympics, so no one has ever thought of changing the track surface in almost 60 years.”
Feldspar’s new track design makes it 20% faster than the surface at the Paris Olympics, and Chen boldly claims it is ‘the world’s fastest running surface. The implications are staggering, if World Athletics approves the technology, we could see sprinters shattering records in ways previously deemed impossible.
How the new track works
Traditional running tracks use rubber, which absorbs a significant amount of an athlete’s energy and wastes nearly 30% per stride. Feldspar’s innovation replaces the standard rubber with a hybrid rubber-composite surface that reduces energy loss to less than 10%.
Chen explains that the track’s design acts like a spring, maximizing energy return.
“Increasing track compliance, track energy return, and altering the direction of energy return are three ways to improve the speed of a track,” she said.
The cantilever system within the track converts downward force into horizontal momentum, critical for sprinters who rely on explosive acceleration and maintaining top speed.
Beyond speed, the track’s embedded sensors deliver real-time analytics on stride length, acceleration, and other key metrics. This data could be invaluable for coaches and even broadcasters, enhancing both training and viewer engagement.
Will Bolt’s record finally fall?
Since 2020, the fastest 100-meter times have hovered around 9.76 seconds, still a far cry from Bolt’s 9.58. But if World Athletics approves and adopts Feldspar’s track, it could transform the landscape of sprinting overnight. Chen firmly believes a sub-nine-second 100m is possible, citing strong reasons, even though many once dismissed such a feat as science fiction.
For now, Bolt’s record remains secure. But if this technology gains traction, the title of “fastest man alive” may soon belong to a new generation of sprinters, ones aided by a track that could make the impossible possible.
