Your lead foot is your stronger foot. Go with whichever foot you’d use to kick a soccer ball. Since the standard track lap is 400m, a 200m dash is half a lap, so you’ll be starting on a curve. Runners set themselves on diagonally staggered start lines to compensate for the differences in distance between the first and last lanes. For beginners, or if you’re just running a dash in gym class, it’s not necessary to use starting blocks. However, if you plan on running sprints competitively, you should get used to using them.
Try bending over and touching your toes to stretch the back of your legs. Stretch your quads by lifting each leg backward from the knee while standing straight and reaching back to hold your foot. Shake out your arms and legs to get blood flowing. Breathe deeply, counting to four, holding for a four count, then exhaling as you count to four. You don’t want to relax too much or make yourself sleepy, but should get your mind locked on the race itself as you fill your body with oxygen. Focus your vision by staring at the track, and get the crowd, other racers, and any other distractions out of your field of vision. Concentrate only on the race, and imagine how you’ll burst from your starting blocks, speed down the track, and make a great time.
If you’re using blocks, make sure your lead toe is off the ground and completely in the blocks. If you’re not using starting blocks, you can still use a crouching start. Position your front toe so it’s a foot length back from the starting line. Get yourself in the same coiled position with your fingers flanking the line.
Keep your back and your waist aligned in a straight line in order to get the best take-off. Slowly inhale and fill your lung capacity during your set.
Feet should be shoulder length apart, and you should be slightly crouched so your weight rests on the balls of your feet. Your knees should be slightly bent. When you hear the start command, swing the arm opposite your lead leg forward as you lift your rear foot. Propel yourself forward using your lead leg. Lean forward into long, powerful strides to accelerate into a sprint.
You might hear a second shot from the gun. This signals someone has false started, so runners must return to their starting spots.
Although it’s certainly not advisable, for some short-distance races, some of the greats barely even breathed at all. [8] X Research source
Different lanes have different curve angles. Lane one has one of the tightest turns, while lanes seven and eight have very wide turns. Many runners will try to get to the center lanes, where turns are most manageable, but taller runners tend to do well on the outside lanes, where the turn radius is widest. [12] X Research source
Be sure to keep pumping your arms. Your hands should reach up to your eye level. Try to run on the balls of your feet.
Warm up with 2 to 5 minutes of light jogging and a core exercise like crunches, run six to eight 200 meter dashes at 75% effort, cool down with a 2 to 5 minute light jog and leg stretches. Good stretches include sitting with your legs in front of you while reaching for your toes, and holding the soles of your feet together with your knees bent in a butterfly stretch. [14] X Expert Source Francisco GomezFitness Coach Expert Interview. 24 October 2019. Sprint drills: warm up with 10 minutes of jogging, then alternate 100 meters each of sprint, walk, jog. [15] X Expert Source Francisco GomezFitness Coach Expert Interview. 24 October 2019. Rest for 3 minutes, then repeat this 100 meter sprint-walk-jog.
