
The hand off must typically take place within a given area of the track. The first runner starts with the baton and runs the first leg handing off to the second runner. There are typically 4 runners and 4 legs to the race. Relay races are where teams of runners compete against each other.

#TRACK STARTING BLOCKS NEAR ME HOW TO#
Of course you still need to be fast, but jumping the hurdles in stride without much slowing down is how to win in the hurdles. Timing, footwork, and technique are key in wining hurdles events. Typical hurdle races are the 100m and 400m for women and 110m and 400m for men. These races are similar to the middle distance races, but the emphasis is even more on correct pacing and endurance.Ī hurdles race is one in which obstacles are placed at intervals along the track that the runners must jump over on their way the finish line. There are three main long distance races: the 3000m, the 5000m, and the 10,000m races. They start out in staggered lanes, to make the distance the same for each runner, but the race soon becomes open with no lanes and the runners must to pass around each other to gain the lead. Also, the runners don't stay in a single lane for the entire race. They rely more on endurance and pacing than just pure speed. These races require different skills and tactics to win that the sprints. The middle distance races are the 800m, the 1500m, and the 1 mile long runs. They should be focused on their lane and the track at the start and the finish line for the last half of the race or so. Sprinters should remain relaxed while running and move their arms in a straight back and forth motion. Once top speed is achieved then endurance kicks in as the runner tries to maintain that speed for the rest of the sprint. The initial part of the race the runner is accelerating to top speed. The runner should exhale and run out of the blocks not jumping.

Then there is the bang and the race has started.

At this point the runner should get their hips slightly above shoulder level, feet pushed hard into the blocks, holding their breath and ready to race. At this point the racer should be focused on the track, have their feet placed in the blocks, fingers on the ground behind the starting line, hands slightly wider than shoulder width, muscles relaxed. The original Olympic event, the stadion race, was a sprint of around 180m.Ī sprint race starts out with the runners in starting blocks in their lane. In a track and field competition there are generally three different sprint distances: 100m, 200m, and 400m.
