This straight line offers a simple approximate quantitative relation between record times and distances in races from 100 meters to 50,000 meters.
Considering first the black dots, or world's records, independently of the Olympic records, it will lie seen that between 100 and 400 meters most of the records fall slightly below the straight line. This means that within that range the record times are shorter, or the speeds
somewhat higher, than those represented by the line. Then, from 500 to 5,000 meters, the dots fall above the line. That is, the times are longer, or speeds somewhat lower, than those prescribed by the line within this range. From 5,000 to 12,000 meters, the agreement between the dots and the line is close. Between 12,000 meters and 32,000 meters, the clots again fall below the line; while beyond 32,000 meters, they change sides and rise above it.
