Competitive Starts Workout
by Steve McGill

I’ve often uploaded videos of this workout to my YouTube channel, and have mentioned it or referred to it when discussing other workouts, but I’ve never actually explained the details of the competitive starts workout here in the magazine, so I’m doing so here since it’s fresh in my mind, as two athletes I coach just completed a version of it this past Saturday. 

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Firstly, let me say that doing competitive block starts against another hurdler (usually a teammate, but not always) is something that you want to avoid until you’re certain that all athletes involved are ready for it in terms of conditioning and fitness level, as well as ability level. I would never have a 14.8 guy do competitive starts against a 13.8 guy for example. That would be demoralizing for the 14.8 guy and it wouldn’t help the 13.8 at all. So, the athletes involved should be at or near the same ability level. The purpose of this workout is multifold:

1. To create a race-like atmosphere. Practices and competitions are most often two entirely different worlds. Prior to big meets especially, it’s important to ingrain a race mentality in practice, so that the meet is just an extension of those practice sessions, as opposed to being a separate entity.
2. To create a sense of urgency. Often, when practicing the start alone, athletes might not run with a sense of urgency, even if they’re touchdown times are being recorded. Nothing creates a sense of urgency more effectively than running beside someone who is capable of beating you.
3. To expose flaws. Again, when practicing alone, the athlete may be able to think, “Gotta drive my trail leg to the front,” or “gotta remember to stay low for the first three strides,” or “Gotta remember not to stand up when I look up.” All such things must happen instinctively when there’s somebody beside you. So competitive starts will let you know what isn’t there yet instinctively, and those are the things you will need to continue to work on when practicing your start without another hurdler beside you. 

So here’s the workout:

1. Warm up briskly, with a full series of dynamic stretches, followed by three 50m sprints at 90-95% of full speed. Gotta get those fast-twitch muscles firing!
2. Get the legs over some hurdles with some light drilling. I’ll usually have my athletes do 3 quickstep reps over 3-5 hurdles. (Spacing: 24 feet between hurdles for males, 21 feet for females, all at race height).
3. Put the starting blocks down, and have the athletes do two or three starts alone, with no hurdles, past where the first hurdle would be. This is in order to get their settings right, and to get their approach to the first hurdle right. I’ll usually put a cone at where their 8th stride (or 7th stride for seven-steppers) should be. 
4. Have the athletes do one or two starts alone over the first hurdle. Whether they do one or two is up to them. 
5. Now the workout begins. A competitive rep over the first hurdle, with commands from the coach. Timing the touchdowns is optional. I prefer to film, or have someone else film, and to then check the touchdown times off the video.
6. If the first rep was quality for all athletes, we move straight to two hurdles. Second hurdle is moved in one foot from race distance.
7. If the second rep was quality for all athletes, we move straight to three hurdles.
8. Now we have options, depending on the coach’s specific purpose for the workout. If I’m trying to help my athletes to master the first zone of the race (from the start line through the third hurdle), I’ll have them do three more reps over the first three. If my aim is to help the athletes transition into the second zone (hurdles 4-7), I’ll keep adding one hurdle each rep, up to six hurdles.

Now, if I know my athletes have already mastered their first three hurdles, and I want to get them right for the whole race, I’ll approach the workout entirely differently. After everyone has done their practice starts on their own, We will start the workout at four hurdles, and work our way up to seven — one rep of each. I’ll never have the athletes go over more than seven hurdles when doing competitive starts. There are other, more effective ways to prepare athletes for the final zone (hurdle 8 through the finish line). I always say that you never want to run the whole race in practice. Save that for the meets. 

Generally, I’ll do this workout with as many athletes who are ready willing and able, assuming they’re all at similar ability levels. I’ve done it with two athletes and I’ve done it with as many as four athletes.

Below is video of my two athletes doing this workout this past weekend:

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