Purpose
Hurdlers work on keeping their form and hitting a standard takeoff and landing point.
Setup
- Mark off the distance from the hurdle that the runner should take off from and land on.
- Place 4 hurdles along the track at the regular race interval (8.5 meters).
How it Works
- Sprinter starts this drill either from a standing start or from the blocks.
- They run forward attempting to take off on the mark and land on the next mark.
- Approach the first hurdle.
- If a runner misses a mark, he or she should stop the drill and go back to the beginning.
- The goal is to hit all of the marks on a consistent basis without hitting the hurdles.
Coaching Tips
- The idea of having the marks is to create a mental image of where the runner should be taking off from in order to continue the maximum speed and acceleration, while clearing the hurdle.
- Once the runner becomes proficient with 4 hurdles, you can add one hurdle at a time to build consistency down the entire track.