Hurdle/Sprint Workout

Workout: 3 sets of 4x80m sprints. Start at 110 meter start line (males) or 100 meter start line (girls). From a standing or 3-point start (if weather is too cold for a block start) or a from a block start (if training indoors or in warm weather), sprint over the first hurdle then continue through to the 80 meter mark.

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Recovery: Between reps, brisk walk-back recovery (no more than 2:00). Between reps, 4:00.

Target times should be determined by coach. The key with any pre-season workout is to be consistent with the times, so you’ll want to set a target time that the athlete can hit consistently.

The purpose of the workout is to teach the athlete to be a hurdler but with the mindset of a sprinter. Attack the first hurdle and keep attacking all the way to the finish line. The relatively high number of reps means that fatigue will become a factor – both toward the end of each set and toward the end of the workout. As fatigue sets in, the key will be to maintain form and maintain speed while maintaining fluidity, without fighting.

This workout is also good for helping hurdlers to work on their sprint mechanics. A lot of times, hurdlers need to be reminded to stay in attack mode, to stay aggressive, to not back down from the hurdle. Sprinting off hurdle one all the way to the 80 meter mark gets hurdlers out of the habit of running from hurdle to hurdle, and gets them back in the habit of running through the finish line.

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