Dice 100m Sprint Game: Rules, Wind and Odds

Dice 100 m is the shortest and fastest race you can play at a table. Two to eight sprinters each roll for three parts of the race: the reaction to the gun, the drive out of the blocks and the finish. Every sprinter starts on 10.20 seconds, the dice add or take off hundredths, and a coin flip sets the wind. The fastest time wins. A race takes about five minutes, so you can run heats and a final.

What you need

• Two six-sided dice, or a dice roller.
• A coin, or our online coin flip, for the wind.
• A score sheet with a row for each sprinter and boxes for reaction, drive, finish and wind.
• A random name picker to draw the lanes.

Drawing the lanes

Put every sprinter’s name into the random name picker and draw them one by one: the first name gets lane 1, the next lane 2, and so on, up to lane 8. Lanes do not change anyone’s chance in this game, but they set the order of turns.

How to play

1. Every sprinter starts with a time of 10.20 seconds.
2. Wind: before the race, flip a coin once for everyone. Heads is a tail wind: take 0.05 s off every time. Tails is a head wind: add 0.05 s to every time.
3. Reaction: each sprinter rolls one die and checks the reaction chart.
4. Drive: each sprinter rolls two dice for the first 60 m.
5. Finish: each sprinter rolls two dice for the last 40 m.
6. The fastest time wins. If two sprinters have the same time, it is a photo finish: the one with the higher finish roll wins, and if that is also a tie, they each roll one die.

This is a simple home version, not an official game. In a real 100 m, the start is checked by sensors in the blocks, a reaction faster than 0.100 seconds counts as a false start, and a sprinter who false-starts is out. A time only counts for records when the tail wind is 2.0 metres per second or less. Usain Bolt set the men’s world record of 9.58 seconds in Berlin in 2009. The best possible time in this game is 9.85 seconds.

The reaction chart

In the tables below, the first column is the roll, the middle column is what happens to the time, and “Chance” is the exact probability: out of 6 ways for one die, or out of the 36 ways two dice can land.

The drive chart

The finish chart

A steady drive is the most common result, because 6, 7 and 8 are the most likely totals, as our guide to dice probability explains. The drive has the biggest swings, from a 0.30 s stumble to a 0.20 s perfect drive, so in this game the drive matters more than the reaction or the finish.

How fast will you run?

This table shows the time of one sprinter before the wind is added. “Chance” is the exact probability of running that time or faster, rounded.

The average time is about 10.22 seconds before the wind, and the single most common time is 10.20. The wind moves every sprinter by the same 0.05 s, so it changes the times but never the winner. That is why a fast time in a tail wind does not prove a sprinter is faster than one who ran in a head wind.

What time wins?

With eight sprinters, the winner is the fastest of the eight. In this table, “Chance” is the exact probability of each winning time before the wind, rounded.

Most eight-sprinter races are won in 10.05 or 10.10 seconds. Times move in steps of 0.05 s, so two or more sprinters share the fastest time in about 31% of races, and the photo finish comes up often.

Tips

• Shout “On your marks, set…” before the reaction rolls, and let everyone roll at the same moment.
• Run heats of four and a final with the fastest from each heat, like a real championship.
• Write the wind next to each race, so you can compare times fairly later.
• Keep a list of the fastest times as a club record board.

Classroom ideas

• Decimals: add and take away hundredths of a second, such as 10.20 + 0.10 − 0.05.
• Probability: why is the fastest time so rare? Multiply 1 in 6 for a rocket start by 1 in 36 for a perfect drive and 6 in 36 for a dip.
• Fair tests: talk about why the wind is the same for everyone in one race, and why wind matters when comparing records.
• Speed: work out a sprinter’s average speed in metres per second: 100 divided by the time.

Variations

• False starts: a reaction roll of 1 followed by a second 1 is a false start, and that sprinter is out.
• 200 m: start on 20.40 seconds and add a bend roll that works like the finish chart.
• Strong wind: roll one die for the wind speed. A tail wind of 5 or 6 still helps, but the time does not count for the record board.
• Relay: four sprinters make a team, and the team time is the sum of their four times.

For more track races with dice, try the dice relay race, the dice hurdles race or a dice marathon.

FAQ

How do you play a 100 m sprint with dice?

Every sprinter starts on 10.20 seconds. Flip a coin for the wind, then roll one die for the reaction, two dice for the drive and two dice for the finish, and change the time with the charts. The fastest time wins.

How many players can play?

Two to eight sprinters, one per lane. With more players, run heats and a final.

Does the wind change who wins?

No. The coin flip moves every time in that race by the same 0.05 s, so it changes the times but not the order.

What is the fastest possible time?

9.85 seconds, with a tail wind, a rocket start, a perfect drive and a dip at the line.

What time usually wins?

With eight sprinters, usually 10.05 or 10.10 seconds before the wind.

What is the real 100 m world record?

For men, 9.58 seconds by Usain Bolt in Berlin in 2009.