Hi to All,
I noticed on the TV that the runners in the majority of races at an athletic meeting ran anti-clockwise. Is there a different reason for this?

If they ran the other way they would bash into everybody coming towards them. Seriously . It's the way the water runs down the plug hole, unless you live in Australia. Bit of a sensless question this. Better to ask is there any type of race on a track where the contestances race clockwise. I can't think of one, Cycling Indianapolis or anywhere. I've never thought about or realized before that even on a Natural Turn which is clockwise we still still progress anti clock.

Hi Don,
/*Bit of a senseless question this.*/

I wrote this question because in the flat races over 100 metres the runners travel anti-clockwise around the track. They don't and never have ran with a sword scabbard on their left hip. So is there another reason why we dance moving in an anti-clockwise direction around the ballroom?

I think the reasons go back further than natural/right turning waltzes.

In the days of the English and French courts when physical contact between partners was limited to the hands, gentlemen would have their ladies on their right side, away from the sword. Much of the dancing involved promenading the ladies around the room presenting and displaying their finery to the assembled audience. Hence the ladies were on the outside of the room and the procession moved anti-clockwise.

When the scandalous, outrageous close hold of the waltz became more acceptable, the ladies were held in the gentlemen's right arm again avoiding the scabbard etc. This offset hold and the existing practice of anticlockwise travel made the right turn the natural choice.

As for oval race tracks, could this go back to ancient Roman chariot races, whip in the right hand, reins in the left resulting in a tendency to curve to the left?

For motor races there are certainly some clockwise tracks including Brands Hatch in England.

More examples: In speed skating, going counterclockwise enables right-handed skaters to use their right arms to swing and generate/preserve momentum.

Has anyone seen a merry-go-round go clockwise lately? Or, for that matter, a rollercoaster (what about a Ferris Wheel--not so sure about that one)?

There must be several possibly unrelated reasons for all these instances. But right-handedness seems to be quite a dominating factor in a number of them. That must be why it's the man's RH that is under the lady's shoulder blade, and not LH.

... Might even relate to the fact that spectators in a counterclockwise moving event will scan visually from left to right, which is also the way the majority read the written word, which leads back to righthanded writing.

Throw this one into the ring. Have a look at the turning wheel of a bike. This side the wheel is turning against the clock. Go the othere side its with the clock. Which has absolutely nothing to do with the question. Why do we dance anti- clock.

Serendipidy: There you go...

This question has kept me awake many a night. Let's see: Earth spins CC, Earth rotates round Sun CC, Moon rotates round Earth CC. All of course seen from the Northern Hemisphere, which goes to PROVE that ballroom dancing did NOT originate in Australia.

Sundials ... Isn't that why we had clockwise in the first place.

Sorry if I caused anyone else insomnia.

Nigelgwee. Sleepless nights with nonesensible questions. Which way does a river flow. This side it is anti clock. The otherside it is clockwise. But if I turn my back I change the flow from one way to the other. Which still doesn't tell us why we dance anti clock. I think the turn up each end must be taken into account. If you are one side and I the other. Which way are they going. Lets settle for that they are moving to our right.

At the Olympiads in ancient Greece, the athletes ran around the track clockwise. They were also naked, so perhaps that makes a difference .
I reckon that if we progressed around the room clockwise, someone would be asking why don't we dance anti-clockwise...?
F1 motor racing goes clockwise because the cars have their swords on the opposite wings.
Race horses go in both directions because.....
I love this topic!