Finishing a race

[questionposter]

Two people are away from the finish line in a race and are both facing forward in the same direction. One person is 1 foot away, and the other is 2 to feet away. The finish line is a horizontal line that is perpendicular to both people's line of sight, and both people are running at the same speed and both never stop running until they reach the finish line, but the person two feet away wins first place. How did they finish first?

Edited April 19, 2012 by questionposter

[md65536]

 

 

Their distances from the finish line are described just after the race was won.

 

 

[questionposter]

 

 

Their distances from the finish line are described just after the race was won.

 

 

 

I guess it works, but there's another solution too.

[questionposter]

 

 

Their distances from the finish line are described just after the race was won.

 

 

 

Oh wait, actually, it says the people are running which means they are currently in motion during this riddle, which means if they are in motion and before the finish line, they haven't passed it yet since if they did passed the finish line they would stop, so the riddle is still unsolved.

Edited April 19, 2012 by questionposter

[md65536]

 

 

If they're on an oval track or other loop, they might be near the finish line but moving away from it, with a lap or so to go.

Are they currently moving away from the finish line?

 

 

[questionposter]

 

 

If they're on an oval track or other loop, they might be near the finish line but moving away from it, with a lap or so to go.

Are they currently moving away from the finish line?

 

 

 

 

Even in an oval track, there is often a straight part for which the finish line is placed on, and based on how I was told, I would say they are moving towards the finish line and not from it.

Edited April 19, 2012 by questionposter

[md65536]

Are they moving forward?

[questionposter]

Are they moving forward?

 

I don't see why they wouldn't be, because if they went backwards neither would be able to come into first place because technically you can't finish a lap that way. They are also facing forwards.

Edited April 20, 2012 by questionposter

[md65536]

Two people are away from the finish line in a race and are both facing forward in the same direction. One person is 1 foot away, and the other is 2 to feet away. The finish line is a horizontal line that is perpendicular to both people's line of sight, and both people are running at the same speed and both never stop running until they reach the finish line, but the person two feet away wins first place. How did they finish first?

 

I dunno!

Are they both in the same race? Is first place given to the one of them who reaches the finish line first?

Are their distances from the finish measured in the same units, as measured from the part of them that would be considered as crossing the finish line?

Does their running speed equal the speed that said part of them is moving and is that speed constant from now until the end of the race?

 

 

 

The runner who's 2 feet away has a 3-foot tall cone-head and tilts her head down to cross the finish line first from farther away.

 

 

[CaptainPanic]

 

It's an oval track. The guy 1 foot away from the finish line still needs to do at least 1 additional lap, while the guy 2 ft away only needs to do the last 2 ft.

 

If this is the answer, then all credits to md65536, who mentioned the oval.

 

[questionposter]

 

It's an oval track. The guy 1 foot away from the finish line still needs to do at least 1 additional lap, while the guy 2 ft away only needs to do the last 2 ft.

 

If this is the answer, then all credits to md65536, who mentioned the oval.

 

 

It seems to satisfy the criteria if we assume it's an oval track. but there's still more than one answer.

[md65536]

It seems to satisfy the criteria if we assume it's an oval track. but there's still more than one answer.

 

The finish line is above their heads, and the winner is just over a foot shorter than the other, so remains farther from the line even while crossing it first.