It gets a track athlete nowhere (3)
I believe the answer is:
lap
'track athlete nowhere' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both acts as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'it gets a' is the wordplay.
'it' becomes 'lp' (I can't explain this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'gets' is an insertion indicator (gets can mean captures or absorbs).
'lp' placed around 'a' is 'LAP'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for lap that I've seen before include "Drink (like dog), circuit" , "revolution" , "400 metres, typically" , "One circuit of a course" , "Scoop up with the tongue" .)