Sprinting

The sprints include the following track events: 100 metres, 200 metres, 400 metres, 4 x 100 metre relay and the 4 x 400 metre relay. Although the sprints are events in themselves, the ability to sprint is an important weapon in an athlete's armoury for many track and field events and many sports.

Sprint Technique

Guidance on the sprint technique takes the form of a checklist, for each phase of the sprint, of points for the coach to monitor. The information provided here is for athletes using starting blocks. For details of standing or crouch starts see, the sprints start page.

Pre race start

• Blocks correctly positioned in the lane (200 metres/400 metres at a tangent to the curve)
• Correct distances from the start line to the front and rear blocks
• Foot blocks at the correct angles
• Blocks firmly located in the track
• Athlete relaxed and focused on the race

On your marks

• Feet correctly located in the blocks
• Fingers behind the line
• Fingers form a high bridge
• Hands evenly positioned slightly wider than shoulder width
• Shoulders back and vertically above or slightly forward of the hands
• Arms straight but not locked at the elbows
• Head and neck in line with the spine
• Eyes focused on the track (1 to 2 metres ahead)
• Gentle breathing
• Face and neck muscles relaxed

Set

• Hold the breath
• Hips rise slowly to a position above the shoulders
• Head and neck in line with the spine
• Eyes focused on the track one or two metres ahead
• Shoulders vertically above or slightly forward of the hands
• Front leg knee angle approx. 90 degrees
• Rear leg knee angle approx. 120 degrees
• Feet pushed hard back into the blocks

B of the Bang

• Exhale
• Drive the arms hard
• Drive the back leg forward into a high knee action
• Extend the whole body so there is a straight line through the head, spine and extended rear leg - body approx. 45 to 60 degree angle to the ground
• Eyes Focused on the track 2 to 3 metres
• Keep low, relaxed and drive
• Run out of the blocks - do not step or jump out of the blocks

Acceleration Phase

• Eyes focused on the track to keep low to allow the build up of speed
• Forward lean of the whole body with a straight line through the head, spine and extended rear leg
• Face and neck muscles relaxed (no tension)
• Shoulders held back and relaxed, square in the lane at all times
• Arms move with a smooth forward backward action - not across the body - drive back with elbows - hands move from approx. shoulder height to hips
• Elbows maintained at 90 degrees (angle between upper and lower arm)
• Hands Relaxed - fingers loosely curled - thumb uppermost
• Legs - fully extended rear leg pushing off the track with the toes - drive the leg forward with a high knee action with the knee pointing forward and with the heel striking under the backside (not the back of the backside as the knee is low and pointing down to the ground) - extend lower leg forward of knee (rear leg drive will propel the foot forward of the knee) with toes turned up - drive the foot down in a claw action with a ball of foot/toe strike on the track vertically below the knee - pull the ground under you into a full rear leg extension - (elbow drive assisting the whole action)
• On the ball of foot/toes at all times - feet pointing forward straight down the lane
• Elbow drive commences just before rear leg drive
• Fast leg action, good stride length allowing continual acceleration
• Appearance of being smooth and relaxed but driving hard with elbows and legs
• The drive is maintained for approx. 20-30 metres and then the whole body slowly comes into a high tall action

Stride Phase

• Smooth transitions from acceleration phase to stride phase
• Eyes focused at the end of the lane - tunnel vision
• Head in line with the spine - held high and square
• Face relaxed - jelly jaw - no tension - mouth relaxed
• Chin down, not out
• Shoulders held down (long neck), back (not hunched), relaxed and square in the lane at all times
• Smooth forward backward action of the arms- not across the body - drive back with elbows - brush vest with elbows - hands move from shoulder height to hips for men and from bust height to hips for the ladies
• Elbows held at 90 degrees at all times (angle between upper arm and lower arm)
• Hands relaxed - fingers loosely curled - thumb uppermost
• Hips tucked under - slight forward rotation of the hip with forward leg drive to help extend the stride
• Legs - fully extended rear leg pushing off the track with the toes - drive the leg forward with a high knee action with the knee pointing forward and with the heel striking under the backside (not the back of the backside as the knee is low and pointing down to the ground) - extend lower leg forward of knee (rear leg drive will propel the foot forward of the knee) with toes turned up, stepping over the knee of the lead leg - drive the foot down in a claw action with a ball of foot/toe strike on the track just behind the body's centre of gravity - pull the ground under you into a full rear leg extension - (elbow drive assisting the whole action)
• On the ball of foot/toes with the feet pointing forward straight down the lane
• No signs of straining or tension in the face, neck and shoulders
• Appearance of being Tall , Relaxed and Smooth with maximum Drive
• See the sprint technique photo sequence

Lift Phase

As the Stride Phase but with emphasis on:

• High knee action (prancing)
• Leg action fast and light as if running on hot surface
• Fast arms - more urgency
• Hands slightly higher at the front

Coaching Notes

As you monitor the athlete's technique look for:

• a Tall action
  • This means erect, running on the ball of foot/toes (not heels) with full extension of the back, hips and legs as opposed to 'sitting down' when running
• a Relaxed action
  • This means move easily, as opposed to tensing and 'working hard' to move. Let the movements of running flow. Keep the hands relaxed, the shoulders low and the arm swing rhythmically by the sides.
• a Smooth action
  • This means float across the top of the ground. All motion should be forward, not up and down. Leg action should be efficient and rhythmic. The legs should move easily under the body like a wheel rolling smoothly along.
• Drive
  • This means push from an extended rear leg, rear elbow drive with a high forward knee drive followed by a strike and claw foot action just behind the body's centre of gravity.

Sprint Starts

Canadian researchers investigated the relationship between sprint start performance and selected conditioning training. When a sprinter leaves the blocks, the drive against the blocks and the first few steps rely on concentric muscular strength. A concentric muscle contraction occurs when a muscle shortens as it contracts. [Eur J Appl Physiol., 2004 Jan; 91(1):46-52]

A squat jump is an example of concentric muscle contraction which simulates the sprint start. 4 sets of 3 repetitions with a loading of 30-70% of 1RM can be used to develop maximal concentric force. Lower into the squat position, hold for 1 to 2 seconds so as switch off the stretch/reflex, stretch/shortening cycle and to allow for a more powerful contraction. Developing concentric muscle contraction will help the athlete's sprint start and acceleration over the first 4 or 5 strides.

Right foot forward or left?

A question often asked with regards starting blocks is "which foot should be in the rear block?" A team of researchers discovered that when the:

• left foot was in the rear block, reaction time was better
• right foot was in the rear block movement and total response time was better - time from stimulus (gun) until the end of the movement

The results suggest that the right foot in the rear block will produce a more powerful drive from the blocks. [Acta Psychol (Amst) 2008, Feb;127(2): 495-500]

Perhaps a way forward would be to evaluate the athlete's times over the first ten metres, for both start positions, to determine which produces the best acceleration phase for the athlete.

Stride Length

The initial foot strike out of the blocks should be around 50-60cm from the start line. The stride length should then progressively increase on each stride by 10-15cm until they reach their optimal stride length of around 2.30 metres.

If the athlete lands at 50cm from the start line and increases their stride length by 10cm/stride then they will reach their optimal stride length around their 19th stride - approx 26m from the start line. If they were able to maintain their 2.30m stride length then they would cross the finish line on their 51st stride.

If the athlete lands at 60cm from the start line and increases their stride length by 15cm/stride then they will reach their optimal stride length around their 13th stride - approx. 20m from the start line. If they were able to maintain their 2.30m stride length then they would cross the finish line on their 49th stride.

Rehearsal of this acceleration phase should be conducted regularly. Markers can be placed at the side of the track to assist the athlete to get the feel of the increasing stride length and acceleration. The marker settings for an athlete who lands at 60cm from the start line and then increases their stride length by 15cm/stride are as follows: 0.60m, 1.35m, 2.25m, 3.30m, 4.50m, 5.85m, 7.35m, 9.00m, 10.80m, 12.75m, 14.85m, 17.10m. [Saunders, R. (2004) "Five components of the 100m sprint", Modern Athlete and Coach (42,4)]

Acceleration Training

Greek researchers looked at weighted sledge training and their effect on sprint acceleration and they concluded that training with a weighted sledge will help improve the athlete's acceleration phase. The session used in the research was 4 x 20m and 4 x 50m maximal effort runs. [J Sports Med Phys Fitness, 2005 Sep;45(3):284-90]

Australian researchers investigated the effects of various loadings and concluded that when using a sledge a light weight of approx. 10-15% of body weight should be used so that the dynamics of the acceleration technique are not negatively effected. [Strength Cond Res., 2003 Nov;17(4):760-7]

Starts over 10-20 metres performed on a slight incline of around five degrees have an important conditioning effect on the calf, thigh and hip muscles (they have to work harder because of the incline to produce movement) that will improve sprint acceleration.

Sprinting Speed

Downhill sprinting is a method of developing sprinting speed following the acceleration phase. A hill with a maximum of a 15° decline is most suitable. Use 40 metres to 60 metres to build up to full speed and then maintain the speed for a further 30 metres. A session could comprise of 2 to 3 sets of 3 to 6 repetitions. The difficulty with this method is to find a suitable hill with a safe surface.

Over speed work could be carried out on the track when there are prevailing strong winds - run with the wind behind you.

It is important that each ground contact (approx. 1/10 of a second) is made as dynamically as possible. Bounding, hopping and depth jumps from low heights (40cm) can play a role in speeding up ground contact times, triggering the appropriate neural pathways and recruiting fast twitch muscle fibres. Example sessions for a mature athlete are:

• 4 x 10 bounds with a 20m run out
• 4 x 10 speed hops
• Depth jumps off 40cm box:

  4 x 4 step off, land and jump for height
  4 x 4 step off, land and jump for distance

Repetitions, sets and recovery should be adjusted so as to focus on the quality of execution not quantity of executions.

Training Programs

A training program has to be developed to meet the individual needs of the athlete and take into consideration many factors: gender, age, strengths, weaknesses, objectives, training facilities etc. As all athletes have different needs, a single program suitable for all athletes is not possible.

The following is a basic annual training program, suitable for a young athlete, for the 100 metres, 200 metres, 400 metres and the sprint hurdle events.

• Sprint Program

The following are event specific annual training programs:

• 100 metres
• 200 metres
• 300 metres
• 400 metres

Developing the Energy Systems

The following table indicates the types of training exercises that can be used to develop the sprinter's energy systems and can be used to guide you in the preparation of training programs for your athletes.

Table Reference: USA Track and Field Coaching Manual, Human Kinetics

Weight Training

The following is an example weight training program for a sprinter. Each session to include abdominal and lower back exercises.

100 metres Split Times

The following table provides the reaction time and 20 metres split times for the men's 100 metres final at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.

Evaluation of speed

If you plot the speed at the 20 metre marks you find that maximum speed is achieved around 60 metres and from this point speed declines to the 100 metre point when it is approximately the same speed as that achieved at 40 metres.

The objective for coaches and athletes is to reduce this decline in speed between 60 and 100 metres.

The Anaerobic (ATP-CP) Energy System provides energy for 5 to 7 seconds - the point at which maximum speed is achieved. The primary source of energy between 60 and 100 metres is the Anaerobic Lactate (Glycolytic) System. Note that the aerobic pathway also provides a small amount of energy.

How to crack 100 metres in 10 seconds

To achieve a <10 second 100 metres you need to focus on the following split times:

• 0 to 10 metres in 2 seconds
• 0 to 20 metres in 3 seconds
• From 20 metres to 100 metres aim for 0.87 seconds per 10 metres

If you manage this then you will achieve 9.96 seconds for 100 metres. Bear in mind that maximum speed is achieved at 60 metres and that speed then declines from 60 to 100 metres.

Effect of wind speed & altitude on sprint times

Effect on 100m times

According to the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) Competition Rules, sprint and jump performances for which the measured wind-speed exceeds +2.0 m/s are deemed illegal, and cannot be ratified for record purposes (IAAF 1998). Performances achieved at altitudes above 1000m above sea level are classed as "altitude assisted".

There a number of papers (see Related References below) which discuss the impact of wind and altitude in the 100m race. The general consensus of these researchers is that the maximum legal tail wind of +2.0 metres/second provides a 0.10-0.12 second advantage over still conditions at sea level and with no wind every 1000 metres of elevation will improve a performance by roughly 0.03-0.04 seconds.

Correction estimates for 100m at varying altitudes for a male athlete running 10 seconds.

Table adapted from "The Legality of wind and altitude assisted performance in the sprints", J.R. Mureika

Correction estimates for 100m at varying altitudes for a female athlete running 11 seconds.

Table adapted from "The Legality of wind and altitude assisted performance in the sprints", J.R. Mureika

Linthorne showed that the advantage of a +2.0 m/s wind is 0.10 seconds for male sprinters and 0.12 seconds for female sprinters. The uncertainties in the effect of wind on race times is 10% and 12% respectively.[Linthorne N.P. (1994) "The effect of wind on 100m sprint times", Journal of Applied Biomechanics, 10, 110-131]

Effect on 200m times

The information in the tables below assume the wind direction is down the 100 metre straight. The 200m athlete initially faces a head wind out of the blocks, which gradually subsides to its maximum effect as the athlete rounds the bend into the 100m straight. A +2m/s wind at sea level effects the 200m time by -0.12s for men and -0.14s for women.

Correction estimates for 200m at varying altitudes for a male athlete running 20 seconds.

Table adapted from "The Legality of wind and altitude assisted performance in the sprints", J.R. Mureika

Correction estimates for 200m at varying altitudes for a female athlete running 22 seconds.

Table adapted from "The Legality of wind and altitude assisted performance in the sprints", J.R. Mureika

Related References

• C. T. M. Davies, "Effects of wind assistance and resistance on the forward motion of a runner", J. Appl. Physio. 48, 702-709 (1980)
• J. Dapena and M. Feltner, "Effects of wind and altitude on the times of 100-meter sprint races", Int. J. Sport Biomech. 3, 6-39 (1987)
• N. P. Linthorne, "The effect of wind on 100 m sprint times", J. App. Biomech. 10, 110-131 (1994)
• N. P. Linthorne, "Wind and altitude assistance in the 100-m sprint", Proc. 8th Bienn. Conf. Can. Soc. Biomech., W. Herzog, B. Nigg and T. van den Bogert (Editors), 68-69 (1994)
• J. R. Mureika, "A Realistic Quasi-physical Model of the 100 Metre Dash", to appear, Canadian Journal of Physics (2001)
• J. R. Mureika, "Modeling Wind and Altitude Effects in the 200 Metre Sprint", in preparation (2001)

Evaluation Tests

The following evaluation tests can be used to monitor the sprint athlete's development:

• 10 stride test for 100 metres and 200 metres athletes
• 150 metres Endurance test for 100 metres athletes
• 250 metres Endurance test for 200 metres athletes
• 30 metre acceleration test for 100 metres and 200 metres athletes
• 400 metres Control tests for 400 metres athletes
• 400 metres Drop off test for 100 metres and 200 metres athletes
• 60 metre speed test for 100 metres and 200 metres athletes
• Balke VO2 max test for endurance
• Cooper VO2 max test for endurance
• Flying 30 metres speed test for 100 metres and 200 metres athletes
• Leg Elastic Strength test
• Quadrathon an excellent all round test
• RAST - Running-based Anaerobic Sprint Test
• Representation of running sessions in training programs
• Standing Long Jump test
• Strength test - upper body (Bench Press)
• Strength test - lower body (Leg Press)
• Sit Ups test - abdominal strength
• Sit and Reach test - lower back and hamstring test
• Vertical Jump test

Sprint Time Predictors

Based on test results it is possible to predict potential times for a sprint event. The available sprint time predictors are:

• Predict your 30m to 100m, 120m, 150m, 200m and 250m times based on your current time for any of these distances
• Predict your 150m, 200m, 300m, 400m, 500m and 600m times based on your current time for any of these distances

Bounding Controls

The information provides a rough guide linking controls to competition performance. The 3 Bounds are from a standing start.

Table is adapted from Sprints and Relays by Frank Dick

Free Calculator

Free Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that you can download and use on your computer.

• 100 metres to 800 metres time predictions based on a 100 metres to 800 metres time

Rules of Competition

The competition rules for this event can be obtained from:

• International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)
• UK Athletics (UKA)

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Associated Pages

The following Sports Coach pages should be read in conjunction with this page:

• Sprint Technique
• Sprint Photo Sequence
• Sprint Warm up Drills
• Sprint Starts
• Setting up the Starting Blocks
• Sprint Relay
• 100 metres Training
• 200 metres Training
• 300 metres Training
• 400 metres Training
• Planning the Training - 6 stages of development
• Find a Coach
• Sport/Event Specific Articles

Associated Books

The following books provide more information related to this topic:

• Sprints and Relays, F.W. Dick, ISBN 0 85134 082 2
• Sprinting and Hurdling, P. Warden, ISBN 1 85223 299 4
• How to Teach Track Events, M. Arnold, ISBN 0 85134 085 7
• Advanced Studies in Physical Education and Sport, P Beashel et al., ISBN 0 17 4482345
• Physical Education and the Study of Sport, B. Davis et al., ISBN 0 7234 31752
• Essentials of Exercise Physiology, W.D. McArdle et al., ISBN 0 683 30507 7
• Physical Education and Sport Studies, D. Roscoe et al., ISBN 1 901424 20 0
• The World of Sport Examined, P. Beashel et al., ISBN 0 17 438719 9
• Advanced PE for Edexcel, F. Galligan et al., ISBN 0 435 50643 9
• Examining Physical Education, K. Bizley, ISBN 0 435 50660 9
• Sport and PE, K Wesson et al., ISBN 0 340 683821
• PE for you, J. Honeybourne, ISBN 0 7487 3277 2