This document provides coaching philosophy and training methodology for sprinters from Shelia Burrell, sprints and hurdles coach at Georgetown University. It discusses developing speed through increasing stride length and frequency, and training acceleration with drills, sled pulls, and hills. Speed endurance is developed by maintaining high speed over increasing distances. Sample training includes intervals, tempo runs, and incorporating speed work before endurance.

1. Sprints (100m, 200m, 400m)
Shelia Burrell
Sprints, Hurdles,
Jumps Coach
GEORGETOWN
UNIVERSITY
Washington, DC

2. Acknowledgements
• Cliff Rovelto – Head Coach Kansas State University
• Gary Winkler – Former Head Coach University of Illinois
• Tony Wells – Colorado Flyers Track Club
• Bob Kersee – Former Head Coach UCLA, Olympic Coach
• Tudor Bompa – Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training
• Todd Henson – Former Coach Olympic Silver Medalist in Pole Vault, Toby
Stevenson. Currently Director of Athletic Development in Germany
• Vince Anderson – Assistant Coach Texas A & M University
• Ralph Mann – The Mechanics of Sprinting and Hurdling

3. YOU MUST HAVE A PLAN
• A bad plan is better than no plan at all….. At least you are
going in a direction.
– “people perish for lack of vision”
• With no plan you go no where….
– “those who know why will always be victorious over those who
only know how”
• Sound training principles and good intuition will make up
for places of faulty planning.
– “in all your getting get an understanding”
• Know what works for you… Continually tweak and develop
your own system that fits your coaching style.
– “eat the fish and spit out the bones”

4. My Philosophy
• Those who know WHY will always be
victorious over those who only know
HOW
• If you are going to run fast…. Then
run fast.

5. Training Inventory

6. Training Inventory

7. Types of Sprinters
SPEED TYPES
(100m,200m)
STRENGTH TYPES
(200m,400m, 800m)

8. • Speed has TWO and ONLY two components
» Stride Length
» Stride Frequency
To improve speed, one or both of these components must increase.
Find the athletes optimal stride length and stride frequency. Because
of Anthropometric difference (height, leg length, body build) you
have to decide which component will give you the most bang for
your buck.
It is possible to improve one at the expense of the other and still see
significant improvement.
All efforts of improve stride length and stride frequency must be
taught within the parameter of sound technique.
***Never let training stray away from your pursuit of happiness, i.e.
SPEED and more SPEED.
You don’t run slow to run fast, your run fast to run faster!

9. Acceleration
• I agree with Vince Anderson that it is very important to teach all
athletes how to run 100m even if they will never run the 100m.
• In the 2004 Olympic Games, Pole Vault Silver Medalist Toby
Stevenson spent the previous year improving his acceleration
mechanics and max speed.
• All acceleration activities in the sprints, hurdles and jumps are a
variation of the 100m pattern.**
• Acceleration mechanics and power development go together. The
more powerfully an athlete can apply force to the track the better
their acceleration will be.
» Acceleration is POWERFUL not “quick”. As most developing athletes are learning
how to accelerate they always say “but that feels slower.”
» To accelerate optimally, the athlete must learn how to powerfully extend
completely from the hips through the shoulders.
» Make your athletes STRONGER and you will improve their ability to accelerate.
Both specific strength and overall strength is necessary.

10. Acceleration
• Posture and Rhythm – Always enforce good
posture and teach a sense of rhythm.
• Even as your athletes get stronger and more
powerful their rhythm and body position
during the acceleration phase never change.
» For example as they start covering more ground in the
first 0 – 5 steps the rhythm should remain the same.
» An efficient high school athlete vs. Walter Dix, both of
their rhythms can be the same but Dix covers more
distance with each step therefore runs faster.

11. One way to teach good Acceleration
Mechanics
• The only acceleration pattern chart that
allows you to train at lower intensities and
models progressive acceleration rhythms is
Vince Anderson’s Chart for Progressive
Acceleration.
» Distances are competition specific ranging from a 13
second 100m rhythm to a 10.10 second rhythm.
» Acceleration Rhythm for Long Jump (17’0” feet to 28’6”
feet) and Pole Vault (16’6” feet to 19’6” feet) are also
outlined.
» Charts are Available during Clinic

12. Acceleration

14. What to Look For
• Full extension of knee, hip and shoulder (Hip
Extension)
• Front shin angle as it relates to body angle.
You want to see a straight line from support
leg to head.
• Recovering shin angle should be less than
parallel to ground for first 3 steps
• Cue – “ push push push” “bomp bomp bomp”

15. Posture

16. How to develop Strength & Power for
Acceleration
• Specifics- Acceleration is determined by the strength qualities of
the prime movers and the angle of the body in relation to the track.
• To develop explosive muscular strength, the most important quality
to possess is high levels of maximal strength. There is no conflict
between the possession of maximal strength and the application of
dynamic strength. A higher level of max strength allows an athlete
to readily obtain dynamic strength.
• 1. Short Hills (10m-40m)
• 2. Sled Pulls or Drags
• 3. Weight Training - Develop max strength in the prime movers.
• 4. Standing Long Jumps
• 5. Sprints (10-60m)
• 6. Box Jumps
• 7. Speed Squats
• 8. Limited Depth Jumps (Timing important)

17. Max Speed
In maximum speed sprinting the following muscles are
responsible for hip extension: the gluteal muscles, the
adductor muscles, the hamstrings.
Max Speed Mechanics
Toe-up
Heel up
Thigh up
Hips Tall
Step over the opposite knee

18. Drills
• Ankling “Toe Up”
• Heel Raise “Heel Up”
• Quick Leg “Thigh Up”
– Single
– Alternating
– Double
– Continuous
• Shorter Than Drill “Hips up”
• Longer Than Drill “Full extension”
• Straight Leg Bounds “Force Production”
• Speed Bounds “Recovery Speed”

19. Training Principle
• Use Drills and exercises that utilize the same
muscles and forces used in the actual event

20. Ankling

21. Heel Raise

22. Quick Leg

23. Left Left / Right Right
Quick Leg

25. Support Phase

26. Recovery Phase

27. Take Off

28. Full Extension/Flight Phase

29. Women’s 60 meter

30. Women’s 60 meter

31. Tasks to Develop Max Speed

32. Speed Endurance
(200m-400m)
• Speed endurance is an athletes ability to maintain high levels of speed for long
periods of time.
– One approach is to develop Maximum Speed over short distances and stretch it out over
longer distances while maintaining high level of speed.
– **The higher the maximum speed your athlete can attain, the faster they will be able to run
when performing at sub-maximal efforts.**
– Max speed can be held for about 10m-40m. (90-100% effort)
– Speed Endurance is trained in the 60m-150m zone (90-100% effort)
– Special Endurance (Long Speed Endurance) is trained in the 150m-300m zone. (80-100%
effort)
– Special Endurance (Lactic Acid Tolerance) is trained in the 300m-600m zone. (80-100%)
– KEEP THE INTENSITY OF WORK BETWEEN SUB-MAXIMUM AND MAXIMUM. Allow the
athlete to run as far as their technique will allow.

33. Examples of Speed Endurance
• Long Speed Endurance (Intensive Tempo)
– Lactacid power and capacity
• 5-6 x 250m (4’-5’), 3-4 x 500m (5’-6’); 300/200,
300/100, 250/150 (60”; 6-10’ between sets)
• Intensity: 80-89%
• Runs greater than 80m
• Recovery: 30 sec to 6 min
• Volume: 800 – 2400m

34. Examples of Speed Endurance
Do enough Intensive Tempo Intervals (Lactacid Capacity)
before Special Endurance Intervals (Lactacid Power).
(80-90% short rest, 95% full rest)
Short Speed Endurance
– 4x4x60m (2-3’;4-6’); 6 x 120m (3’)
– Alactic Power and Capacity... Emphasis is on speed
– 4x4x60m (1’-1:30’, 5’), 2x4x90m (1:30’, 5-6’)
Glycolytic power and Capacity workout when you decrease
the rest to 60-90”, 5-6’ recovery. Emphasizes speed in
higher state of fatigue

35. Pay Attention
• When mechanics fail, the quality of speed
endurance running will not be enhanced

36. Maximum Volume Ranges
Speed
100m 500m max
200m/100mh 800m max
400m 900m max
Speed Endurance
100m/200m/100h 800m max
400m/400ih 1800m max

37. Training Principles
• Speed and Endurance should be developed
together.
• Develop speed over increasing distances
• Speed should precede Endurance within in a
workout.

39. Most Bang for your $$
• MEAN IMPROVEMENTS IN RACING TIMES
METHOD 100M 400M 800M
1. Long & Steady 0.10 2.60 6.30
2. Fartlek 0.15 2.05 7.65
3. Long Sprints 0.20 3.90 8.40
4. Interval Sprints 0.20 3.40 7.80
5. Interval Series 0.20 2.95 8.00
6. Endurance Intervals 0.10 1.95 7.50
7. Pace Intervals 0.30 3.60 11.05
8. Uphill Intervals 0.30 3.85 12.85
9. Combinations 0.25 3.30 9.35

40. 100m Race Model

41. 100 Race Model

42. 200m Race Model
• 0 – 60m Accelerate “Get out” take
advantage of 6-7 secs of ATP
• 60-90m Transition “Relax/Maintain” but
don’t slow down. Take a breath
• 90 – 150m Accelerate “Surge” off the turn.
Open up increase stride length,
cover ground, relax upper body, take
a breath
• 150-200m Short and quick, increase
frequency, drive elbows back, stay
forward.

43. Task Specific Drills
• Specific Drills
– Straight Leg Bounds to dynamically strengthen gluteus and upper hamstrings
as it relates to actual sprint cycle -
– Speed Bounds to develop Hip/Flexor and Hip Extensor Strength and teaches
correct cycling – Dynamic Strength
– Shorter Than Drill to develop stride frequency and front side mechanics
– Longer Than Drill to develop stride length and teach how to push from track
to get stride length WITHOUT overextension
– Lunges (LOTS OF LUNGES) contributes to Acceleration, flexibility, stride length,
strength/muscular endurance, hip mobility/flexibility – Static Strength
– Long Hills/Stairs Workouts help in developing strength endurance and/or
power development, ground contact time - Dynamic Strength
– Strength Circuits use in general preparation as part of general conditioning.
Be sure to include exercises that condition specific muscles involved in
sprinting.

44. Task Specific Drills
Specific Drills
- Short Hills/Sled Pulls/ Bullet Belt helps teach and develop acceleration mechanics, hip flexor and extensor
strength
- Hurdle Hops/Straight Leg Hurdle Hops, Single leg hurdle hops develop hip flexor and extensor strength,
ground contact,
- Sand Routines (barefoot) excellent for developing foot strength, lower leg endurance, elasticity and stability,
power, acceleration, muscular endurance
- Multiple Throws (A MUST) helps with power development and serves as a low level plyometric exercise.
Teaches motor firing patterns,
- Multiple Jumps : ex) Skip for height, skip for distance, double leg hops fwd and bkwd, single hops, LLRR,
Lunge exchange. Explosive Strength, Acceleration
- Balance Stability/ Core/ Physioball – If not incorporating core in your training programs start now!
Contributes to athletes ability to hold positions and correct posture. Good core strength clears pathway for
force application. Corrects imbalances and some biomechanical weaknesses.
- Ins and Outs, Sprint –Float – Sprint – Helps with breathing techniques and teaching how to run relaxed while
focusing on mechanics.