SPRINTS AND RELAYS

By Mark Guthrie

    Perhaps the greatest misconception about training sprinters is that they need to do a large volume of work and that they can compete in three or four events each meet without it negatively affecting their future races. Typically, most coaches tend to race their sprinters too much while taking care (as they should) not to overuse their middle-distance and distance runners. When a sprinter runs at top speed, as in a race, it places a significant amount of stress on the neuromuscular system. The body needs time to repair itself after such stress. If the athlete is overraced without adequate recovery time, he or she may experience injury or tired legs. It took me almost 15 years of coaching to fully understand this concept.
    Many people feel that sprinters are lazy they assume, right or wrong, that sprinters rely on their God-given ability, as opposed to having to spend significant time at practice developing their talent. Similarly, many coaches feel that sprinters should be given longer workouts and be worked out at a higher intensity than is appropriate. In my opinion, this is the wrong way to build a team that is deep in excellent and healthy sprinters who can contribute to the team's overall success.
    A reasonably sized training group of 8 to 12 athletes allows you to make competition decisions that benefit each sprinter (as well as your team). For example, you can let your fastest short sprinter handle the 100 meters for you; then you can let the sprinter who shows the ability to carry his or her speed longer focus on running the 200 meters. If your depth is solid, you can even develop a 4 X 100 or 4 X 200 relay team that does not affect your top two sprinters. Four solid sprinters who may not exhibit exceptional individual speed can become a very effective relay team by learning to pass the stick well and by embracing this event as their way to contribute positively to the team. These athletes can use this pride to provide the depth you need to score in each speed event.

100 AND 200 METERS

    It is easy to find athletes who want to race the 100 and 200 meters, mainly because these events are short and considered the "glamour events" of track and field. When considering candidates for these events, remember that athletes who demonstrate quickness and speed in one sport, such as football, basketball, or soccer, mayor may not necessarily have track speed. These athletes are good candidates to start with, but be open to letting others surprise you with their speed.
    Before 100 and 200-meter runners do any practice, it's important for them to warm up for at least five minutes. Our athletes use the same basic warm-up for competition that they use in daily practice. This warm-up has been adapted from Loren Seagrave and Kevin O'Donnell's Speed Dynamics Instructional System (Lilburn, GA: Speed Dynamics). Please refer to that work for details on the drills, or you may structure your own workout using a similar combination of warm-up drills, mobility exercises, and accelerations.
    1. 10 to 30 repetitions of each of the following drills: prisoner squat, highland fling, front lunge, side lunge, speedskater. Follow each exercise with a 50-meter acceleration and 50-meter walk.
    2. 10 repetitions of the following hip mobility circuit exercises: hamstring reach, leg circle forward and back, fire hydrant.
    3. 2 X 100-meter accelerations, focusing on correct sprinting body position.
    4. The following static stretches held for 15 counts: cross-legged hamstring, stork stand, calf stretch.
    5. 10 repetitions of each exercise in the dynamic mobility circuit: head circle, trunk circle, hip circle, lead leg pickup, trail leg pick-up.
    6. 2 X 100-meter accelerations, focusing on recovery mechanics. Follow this with side slide back (changing directions every 30 meters).
    7. 3 X 20 meters of each sprint exercise: ankling, butt kick, a-skip, carioca, straight-leg bounding.
    8. 2 X 199-meter accelerations, focusing on recovery mechanics followed by 6 X 50 meters; alternate straight leg bounding and fast legs.
 

Sprinting Mechanics
    All runners, not just sprinters, need to understand and develop solid running mechanics and techniques that allow them to use their talent to the fullest. I recommend that all coaches focus the core of their sprint training here. A good source for techniques is the program by Loren Seagrave and Kevin O'Donnell called Speed Dynamics.
    Coaches need to instruct athletes on running mechanics and technique because incoming junior high and high school athletes have usually received no previous structured education regarding how to sprint. Although we all began to run soon after we mastered walking, many of us do not know how to run correctly. Good running form is the foundation of track and field. Therefore, I recommend that a significant part of your daily training program at the start of each season feature relevant techniques and drills and that a large part of your time be spent in this area with your younger runners.
    It takes many repetitions to improve a technical skill, let alone master it, so I strongly recommend that coaches continue to emphasize technique drills throughout an athlete's career. These drills can be incorporated into an athlete's competition warm-up so that the
athlete's body can become familiar with both the techniques and the warm-up protocol. The primary areas that the athlete needs to focus on are head position, arm carriage, foot plant, foot action, and pelvic alignment.
    Head position: The head should remain in neutral position, with the chin level and the jaw relaxed (see figure 7.1a). There should be no horizontal or vertical movements.
    Arm carriage: The arms should maintain a 90-degree angle at the elbow throughout the upswing as well as the backswing (see figure 7.1b). Athletes can imagine the arms rotating around a dowel rod that runs through their shoulders. During the running phase, their arms should not elongate or shorten.

    Foot plant: The foot should always be in a toe-up/heel-down position (see figure 7.1c) to allow for the clawing effect explained in the following section on foot action. This plant helps prevent a breaking effect that results when the toe is pointed downward during the running phase. By keeping the toe up and the heel down during the recovery phase of the stride, the length of the lever is shortened, resulting in a fast motion.
    Foot action: The clawing action that results from a toe-up/heel-down foot plant (see figure 7.1d) is critical in all distances run. As the foot strikes the ground during the plant phase, you should hear a scraping sound on the ground when doing the "claw drill" from a stationary position. The heel-down aspect assists in the foot plant, but it is also important in the recovery phase of the run.

    Pelvic alignment: To assist with the lower body action, the pelvis should be tilted in an upward direction. This position is somewhat unnatural and is not used in everyday walking.

Starts

    Any start should come from a position that enhances the acceleration pattern of the athlete. To accomplish this goal, the sprinter, at the moment of the start, must apply maximum force against both starting pads in the shortest period of time possible. The main areas your sprinters should learn to focus on at the starting position are
    1. block placement,
    2. the set position, and
    3. clearing the blocks.

Block Placement

    Three variations of block placements result in three types of starts: the bunch start, the medium start, and the elongated start. The power leg should always be in the up-position or closest to the finish line, since this is where the first energy is developed. To determine which leg is the power leg, some coaches use a test in which the athlete stands with feet parallel and then falls forward. The logic is that the stronger leg steps out to save the athlete from landing face down. Another option is to have the athlete perform single-leg hops on each leg. The leg that allows the athlete to cover the most distance is considered the strongest leg. Other coaches simply allow the athlete to experiment and go with what feels most comfortable.
    In the bunch start, the athlete is close to the line, with recommended pad placements approximately 16 inches behind the line for the front pad and 11 inches behind the front pad for the back pad (see figure 7.2a). The medium start has the front pad approximately 21 inches from the starting line and the back pad about 16 inches behind the front pad (see figure 7.2b). The elongated start places the front pad at approximately 21 inches from the start line and the back pad about 26 inches behind the front (see figure 7.2c).

    You can have your sprinters try these various placements, but most are best served by using the medium start position. This position provides the athlete with maximum force because the body angle from the toe to the head is between 41 and 45 degrees when clearing the blocks, which translates to high velocity (see figure 7.2b). In races that start on a straight, make sure that the athlete has the entire starting block centered in the lane so that the runner is not leaving the starting line on an angle. Remember that the foot must
be touching the starting pad as well as the track throughout the starting process. Once a comfortable starting position that produces the proper velocity and attains the required angles in the knee joint has been established, have your athletes take a tape measure and measure the exact distances for both pads from the starting line. This tape measure should be at every practice and meet as part of the required equipment since there are many different types of blocks.
 

Set Position
The pad settings that you and your athlete settle on should create a set position for the starting block (figure 7.3a) in which the angle of the front knee is 90 degrees and that of the back knee is 120 degrees (figure 7.3b). The athletes should apply equal pressure to both pads, and they should "roll" their weight over their arms slightly so that their weight is supported comfortably by their arms. The athletes should place their hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, with the thumb and forefingers creating a bridge position. The arms are straight, and the head comes to rest in a comfortable position, with the neck neutral and the hips rising to slightly higher than the head and shoulder area.
 

Block Clearance

    Once the gun has sounded, the athlete should push against the blocks with both feet and drive out and up. The arms should drive quickly as well, and the athlete should literally run out of the blocks, not jump up or jump out (figure 7.3c). You are looking for a powerful, fluid motion.
    After clearing the blocks, the athlete should continue to drive forward from a 45-degree angle, plotted from the ground, through the ankle, through the knee joint, hips, and then through the head (figure 7.3d).

    The toe must be up so that it can "claw" against the ground when it is applied. After covering about 30 meters, the sprinter gradually becomes more upright, with the arm drive traveling between the height of the shoulder and back to the side seam of the uniform top, never crossing the midline of the torso (figure 7.3e).
    As the race progresses, the runner should continue to claw against the ground, begin to run tall and become light on the feet, and maintain relaxation in the face and arms (figure 7.3f). At the finish, the sprinter can either lean or run hard through the finish line. I used to teach the sprinter to lean, but I found that more times than not, the athlete would slow down slightly to set up for the lean. I now ask our sprinters to run beyond the finish line before slowing down or taking any other action.

200-Meter Starting Considerations

    There are a couple of starting considerations for athletes who are preparing to run the 200 meters. All sprint-starting mechanics, drive phase, and angles that occur in the first few steps are essentially the same for the 100 meters through the 400 meters-but they are more critical in the shorter races than the longer. In the longer races, the athletes start on a curve. They need to adjust the starting block so that the outside hand is just behind the line and the inside hand is about four inches behind the line (figure 7.4a). The starting block pads remain set at the same position as they would for the 100-meter race.

    Once the gun is fired, the athlete runs to a point on the inside of the curve, leaving the blocks in a straight line. The left shoulder should lean in slightly (figure 7.4b), and the right arm should just drive across the midline of the torso. As the runner comes out of the curve, he or she must not float to the outside of the lane but must instead maintain the line established in the turn (figure 7.4c). The strength of your athlete determines how hard he or she runs the turn and whether it is a controlled acceleration into the straight. Either way, the goal is to maintain form and speed through the finish line.

Preseason Conditioning
    Before the start of the season, I encourage a general overall conditioning program that includes a lifting program with some use of Olympic-style lifts for high schoolers, such as cleans, snatches, clean and jerks, deadlifts, stability work for both lateral and straight ahead movement, integrated sled pulls over 30 to 40 meters, hill sprints with a sprint-up and walk-down format, and stadium stairs. If runs are going to be incorporated in your preseason conditioning, focus on aerobic power sets:
        6 x 100 at 70 percent of race pace with 30 seconds rest
        2 to 3 sets of 6 to 8 x 300 at 70 percent of race pace with 3 minutes rest
    Or include some tempo endurance workouts, such as sets of 200 meters or more at 65 percent of race pace, with 45 seconds of rest between intervals and two minutes of rest between sets. Use these examples, and schedule a hard day followed by an easy day for a 7to 14-day cycle. The athletes should leave practice feeling as if they could do more work.
 

Early to Midseason Conditioning
    While at the 1999 USA Track and Field Convention, I had the opportunity to sit and discuss in-season sprint training with the 1992 Olympic head coach and former head coach at Auburn University, Mel Rosen. Mel was the first to really share with me the program that I now use and outline here. I adopted this plan because coach Rosen said that no matter the talent level or age, his athletes all improved during their four years under his coaching from Harvey Glance to a young man whose 100-meter personal record was 10.50. This simplicity lured me to try this program, and it has resulted in more 100-meter, 200-meter, and 4 X 100-meter all-Americans in three years than I had coached in the previous ten years of coaching at the college level.
    A sample week from the early to midseason program is shown in table 7.1. Note that the table shows a pattern, and that it suggests that you can make changes and keep the athletes' attention by being creative in what you do. For example, you can mix up the distances, but you should try to maintain the total meters run in a day and keep the same corresponding times. In the relay stick work, we work at only 50 percent effort. The time of the season and your program's philosophy dictate how much time athletes spend in the strength center. Weight work ranges from three or more times per week early in the season to no sessions at all late in the season (during the taper phase).

Late Season Training
    Late in the year, we reduce the volume of training. However, we might increase the speed on a day with less volume so that athletes focus more on feeling fast and leave practice excited and ready for more. The racing itself will sharpen the runners' performances. Shorter practices that cover half to two-thirds of the racing distance and demand 90 to 95 percent of each athlete's personal best are enough to provide quality late season training.
    You certainly can take a more scientific approach to sprint training, but consider the age of your athlete, the number of athletes you need to train and monitor, and the time you have to complete the entire practice. There are outstanding coaches who deal with elite athletes and place a great deal of emphasis on physiology and technical aspects of the sport, but they work with their athletes on a one-on-one basis, over an extended period of time. Their athletes are much more physically and emotionally mature than the average junior high and high school athlete.
    Perhaps your greatest contribution to your athletes is to provide them with the technical foundation that I spoke about earlier in this chapter so that they are prepared and injuryfree to make that next step in their progression to excellence. They will perform well for your team and have strong performances at highlevel meets. As I discuss in chapter 14, getting them mentally prepared to perform may be more important than having them complete one last great workout.

400 METERS

    Athletes who specialize in the 400 meters can be the cornerstone of a successful track program. They can provide good coverage in the 100, 200, 400, 4 x 100, 4 x 200, and 4 x 400 events, and in an emergency, either at the 800 meters or a 4 x 800 relay. Many slower short distance sprinters can find a new home in the 400-meter group where they experience newfound success. An easy way to predict a male runner's potential in the 400 meters is to take his best open 200-meter time, double it, and add 3.5 seconds. To predict a female runner's time, add 4.5 to 5.0 seconds to the doubled 200-meter time. As an example, look at your 200-meter runners who run 23.0. Apply the formula, and you have a candidate who could run 400 meters in 49.5 in an open race. Four athletes of this speed in a 4 x 400 relay could produce a time of 3:18.0 without even subtracting time for being on the roll as a relay member. These two numbers would most likely score higher at your conference and state series meets than a 23.0 in the 200 meters would.
    The reason most sprinters run and hide when their name is mentioned in the same breath as a 400-meter race is that they are afraid of the pain they think is involved. Or, sometimes, they have been thrown into the race without being trained for the event and have thus had a very negative experience. In addition to preparing athletes for this event, make sure you really sell this event. Do it in a positive and enthusiastic manner, using current examples of key people such as Michael Johnson and taking advantage of the attention he has brought to it.

Conditioning for the 400 Meters
    The key to success in the 400 is in the training for the event. Athletes should never run faster than race pace during training; they should build strength, and they should use relaxation to maintain speed or reduce the diminishment of speed. We know that athletes who are working reasonably hard will encounter lactic acid build up once they have run for 40 seconds. You'll never need to have them run faster than 400-meter speed since the main energy sources used in the 400 meters are the ATP-PC (adenosine triphosphate-phosphocreatine) and lactic acid systems. Therefore, all of your work will be to maximize the development of these systems; this does not involve running at speeds faster than race pace.
    Take into consideration the time versus the distance that is covered in 300- and 350meter efforts. A slower 400-meter runner still incurs lactate at 40 seconds, but it occurs several meters before a faster runner would incur lactate. Therefore, the time run at 400meter pace is more important in some cases than the meters run. For example, an effective workout might be 3 to 4 X 300 at race pace plus 5.0 seconds, with a walking recovery of five minutes between runs. A 48-second 400meter runner should arrive at the 300-meter mark at 41 seconds, while the 52-second runner would arrive at the same distance in 44 seconds, having thus been in lactate 3 seconds longer while running the same workout. The cumulative effect of being over the lactate threshold longer is much greater for the slower runner, who therefore requires a different workout the next day.
    This logic also applies to girls, who still arrive at lactate after 40 seconds of sustained work. But in the case of the aforementioned workout, a 60-second 400-meter female runner would cover the 300 meters in 50 seconds-in other words, she would be in lactate for 10 seconds, as opposed to the 1.0 or 3.0 seconds that the male runner was exposed to lactate. Therefore, when determining whether to base your practices on meters or time, consider your runners: While a 48-second runner makes it to 300 meters at 41 seconds,
an equal effort for a 60-second runner places them at 240 meters.
    The athletes' ability to remain relaxed during the 400-meter run is strengthened by running 600-, 500-, and 450-meter runs at paces that range from their race pace plus 15 seconds early in the season to their race pace plus 4 seconds later in the season, followed by a IS-minute walking recovery and hill work. This workout provides the needed endurance work to complete the 400-meter race in good running posture while staying relaxed through the finish line.
    Over time, I have assigned a race-pace plus time system to athletes' workout speeds to have consistency in the tempos that the athletes run. I then run practices by ability groups to eliminate racing in practice. Samples of this concept are demonstrated in the sample training program shown in table 7.2.
    Along with the running portion of these sample workouts, I have athletes lift two to three times per week in the early season and taper off the weight training completely as we get into late season. The workouts shown in table 7.2 are for a runner with a 47-second personal record in the 400-meter run. To modify the sample workout shown in table 7.2 for a junior high group, reduce the number of repetitions as well as the speed of the runs, based on your athletes' 400-meter race pace.

Warm-Up Change-Up

    It used to be that our 400-meter group would do 3 to 6 X 100 meter accelerations during practice. One year, one of our runners, who had a history of hamstring problems, ran slightly faster 200 meters than normal in place of these accelerations. At the NCAA Championships, he felt the best in the race and ran a lifetime, outdoor personal best, while our other runners felt a little heavy. During the next couple of years, I experimented with this difference and had the same results. We eventually adopted this change into our program and have since had fewer hamstring injuries.

Racing Tactics
    When planning strategy for the 400 meters, remember that runners never make up in the last 200 meters what they lost or sacrificed in the first 200 meters. A classic example of this maxim is the 1988 Olympic final in Seoul, Korea, when Butch Reynolds got out slow, tried to make a move over the final 200 meters, and never got up to win the race. On the other hand, the two accepted ways to achieve success in the 400-meter race are to run an evenly split race or to run within one second of a personal best 200-meter open for the initial 200 meters and then run off of that tempo through the finish.
    Evenly paced racing is very difficult to teach and even harder to execute. This racing style asks a 48-second 400-meter runner to run 12 seconds per 100 meters, for splits of 12.0, 24.0, 36.0, and 48.0. In theory, the equal dis bursement of effort should physiologically produce the optimal result; however many emotions, psychological effects, and physiological factors are involved with a successful race. I support-especially for younger runners-getting into a fast rhythm over the first 50 meters, getting into a free-wheeling rhythm that allows for quick turnover without seeming to work as hard, running the first 200 meters within 1 second of a personal best, then beginning an acceleration over the next 100 meters to reduce the loss of speed related to being in a curve, which should then set up an athlete for a strong finish.

SPRINT RELAYS

    The sprint relays are some of the most exciting events in a track and field program. Runners combine speed, coordination, and teamwork to accomplish the task. They also allow four athletes, who mayor may not be your four fastest runners in a single event, an opportunity to get to a sectional or state final by becoming efficient in their baton-handling and sprinting. These relays are always a favorite among the runners. When asked, they will tell you that they enjoy the open events but have a special feeling for running with the baton in their hand with their teammates.
 

4 X 100 Relay
    This event is the track equivalent of Russian roulette in many people's eyes. A coach can remove a lot of uncertainty by having the runners practice many repetitions of the actions that have to take place in the race.
 

Selecting Your Team

    The first concern is your selection of runners and their running order. Your first and third legs should run with the baton in their right hand, and the second and fourth runners should carry it in their left hand. If you mandate this, you ensure that the stick or baton will always remain in the middle of the running lane. The main idea is to prevent the athletes from stepping on each other and from passing the baton across their body. One of the first questions I ask my runners who are being considered is whether anyone is left-hand dominant. If you don't have a lefty, you need to spend time developing left-handed technique with right-handed athletes. The second question I pose is whether anyone has ever (or never) taken a baton. These two questions may quickly establish your running order, by establishing who has (or lacks) experience.
    All things being equal, I believe that coaches have many options for putting a successful relay team together. The old standard is to have your best starter lead off, use your second-fastest runner and good baton-handler second, have your best curve-runner handle the third leg, and use your fastest sprinter for carrying it home.
    However, there are other possibilities. I would always agree that the first runner needs to be your best starter, someone who can run a fast turn, who is perhaps shorter in stature than the other team members and an individual who is not going to panic on you in the major meets of the year. I would look at your second runner as someone who can maintain speed longer. You would want the second runner to take the baton early in the zone and carry it deep into the second zone. This may be a 400-meter runner who has good acceleration skills or a high top-end speed that will carry past the end of the second zone. If you feel a need to apply pressure on the other teams, you may want to put your fastest runner in this second position. By the second exchange, you can be clearly in the lead and create nervousness in the other teams' runners. On the third leg, I like to use my best 200meter athlete, if not my fastest 100-meter runner, since these athletes are used to running this turn (it also gives them more repetitions on the turn). Stature may be a concern. A
shorter athlete may handle the turn better, especially if your team draws the first lane. The anchor runner is the person who can handle pressure while leading or being closed on. This person has to have supreme confidence in his or her ability and be a runner who can remain focused and relaxed if the race should become close.
    In my opinion, coaches have many options available to them when establishing the running order. One major consideration you may want to seriously focus on is trying to match up with your main competition at the biggest race of the season, whether that is the sectionals, state, or national meet. After all, in the major meets, place is everything, and performance doesn't matter if you don't get the points. So review what your competition has traditionally done and think about how you can match up to gain an advantage.
 

Understanding the Exchange Zones

    Once you have selected your team, see that your athletes understand two important concepts. The first is that they have to run through the entire zone while maintaining as much speed as possible; it is unacceptable to slow down once a runner has made the call to take the baton. The second concept is that the outgoing runner has to wait until the appropriate time to leave the starting position and begin acceleration. Failure to execute these two concepts creates problems in these and all other aspects of your relay.
    The sprint relays are given an acceleration, or international zone, of 10 meters and an exchange zone of 20 meters. Equations are available for establishing "go-marks"; however, with the junior high and high school athlete being somewhat immature and not always giving you the same look from day to day, I recommend using the trial-and-error method. Start with 20 steps backward from the start of the acceleration zone, and work from that point to get the final go-mark. The athletes must have their spikes on when walking off this distance, since they will be wearing them on race day. The second and fourth runners walk back on the inside lane line for their lane, while the third runner walks back
on the outside lane line. They do this so that their mark is on the same side of the lane as the incoming runner. I have used playground chalk, half-cut tennis balls, and short and long pieces of tape to establish our go-marks. In addition, I have come up with the following ritual for our relays before a meet.
    As soon as we arrive at the facility on the day of the meet, I find out which lane we are running in. I then have all of our runners walk their steps back, in their spikes, and make a small chalk mark on the inside and outside of their lane at their go-mark. Then, just before their race, they lay down athletic tape all the way across the lane at the proper location. Doing this relieves the stress and pressure of having to do all of this just seconds before running the actual race. Instead, they can focus on their task and remain relaxed while everyone else is scurrying about getting ready. Once the race has started, the outgoing runner is focused only on the next teammate and go-mark. Once the incoming runner is at or on the go-mark, the outgoing runner accelerates in a normal fashion and continues to accelerate throughout the zone. It is the incoming runner's responsibility to catch the outgoing runner, not the job of outgoing runner to slow down for the incoming runner.
    The only time we have a safety mark, which is located four shoe-lengths beyond where the stick is usually passed for each zone, is in championship meets, and even then, we usually use it only in the finals. If you are forced to slow down at any point during the race, unless you have exceptional talent, you will probably not advance to the finals. However, once you are in the finals, you always want to make sure that you will score the points. It is for these races only that I would recommend that you employ a safety mark.
 

Polishing the Pass

    In the 4 x 100 relay, the baton always remains in the middle of the lane, no matter who is carrying it at any given time. The incoming and outgoing runners are staggered in the lane so that their hands match up for the pass and so that they do not step on the other runner's foot or leg.

    Runners have used several types of passes throughout the years, and surprisingly, those early forms of passes, while less efficient, are still being coached and used today. The original pass was the cradle, where the incoming runner would pull up next to the outgoing runner and place the baton in his hand, which was anchored at his waist (figure 7.5a). This approach does not allow for much "free zone" (the distance between the runners that the stick covers when being passed), and it was used during the early years of the modern era by the United States (since we usually had four superior sprinters as compared with the rest of the world).

Figure 7.5a--The cradle

    Following that was the upsweep pass, where the outgoing runner would extend the proper hand behind the hip with the palm facing down toward the track. The incoming runner would then pass the baton up into the outgoing runner's hand (figure 7 .5b). This allowed for some free zone, but the runner always had to adjust the baton forward while on the run to prepare to pass it to the next runner.

Figure 7.5b--The Upsweep

    The down-sweep pass evolved from the upsweep because it allowed the runners more free zone and allowed them to place the baton in the proper position to pass itto the next runner. This pass has the outgoing runner drive the proper arm behind the body, palm up and everted (away from the body), while the incoming runner brings the baton down into the outgoing runner's hand (figure 7.5c).

Figure 7.5c--The Downsweep

    The down-sweep method is highly used today as is the snatch pass, which is the most modern method. The snatch pass provides all of the benefits of the down-sweep pass, and has the advantage of allowing the outgoing runner to drive with both arms to help in the acceleration process rather than having to run with one arm driving and one arm locked in the receiving position.
    The snatch technique is what I use and recommend for your team. I had success with this pass at the high school and the college level, but it can also be used in junior high programs. In fact, this is a clear example of how you can use your feeder program to teach the techniques that will eventually be used in your program. It gives athletes more repetitions of the skills that you will expect later so that they can master the skills sooner than those just learning in high school.
In the snatch pass, the outgoing runner leaves when the incoming runner hits the go mark. The advantage of this technique over all the others is that it allows athletes to run through the acceleration and exchange zone driving both arms. The incoming runner holds the arm straight out, with the baton vertical and slightly forward, aimed at the outgoing runner's elbow (figure 7.6a). When given the signal, the outgoing runner takes the receiving arm back (figure 7 .6b). Rather than swinging it out and away from the torso, the outgoing runner sweeps the arm directly backward, grazing the thumb along the running shorts. The baton is in a perfect position to be received; the runner's arm motion drives forward in a normal running motion, and the runner continues onward (figure 7.6c). In the event of a miss, the incoming runner holds the stick in the receiving position, and the outgoing runner, using a normal arm swing, goes back for it again.

Figure 7.6, a-c

I recommend the snatch pass, which has the advantages of the down-sweep

pass but also allows the outgoing runner to use both arms to accelerate.
 

Making the Call
    Many teams use what is called an auto-drop, which means that after a prescribed number of paces, the outgoing runner automatically reaches back for the baton. The auto-drop can be helpful when every team is calling for their outgoing runners to take the baton, possibly using the same call and thus resulting in an unexpected pass at the wrong time. The downside to the auto-drop is that the incoming runner can be in trouble and the outgoing runner would have no idea. Instruct your runners to indicate their readiness by calling the first name or nickname of the outgoing runner, as long as it is short (ideally one syllable). Runners can also use the old standby calls of stick, go, or take.
    Once our team used the word stop in the 2001 NCAA III Championships 4 X 100 relay final for the men. When our second runner screamed "Stop!" as our call to our third runner, two teams outside of us slowed considerably as the oncoming runner ran up on them, a fact that was clearly visible in the videotape of the race.
 

Catching Relay Splits
    I never give splits to the runners of the 4 X 100 relay and 4 X 200 relay. The first reason is that I am not that good, and I don't have the exact middle of the exchange zone marked. Secondly, the 4 X 100 relay is a teamwork event, and I want them to work together to attain the desired outcome ..
    However, with technology and precise markers, you may be able to get split times. First, check your rule book for the number of markers you can have in your lane. Then, If the markers are permissible and if you are able to, determine the exact center of the zone. You may be able to get the splits if your camera has a timer that is visible on the screen so that you can see the exact splits when you play the tape in slow motion. Personally, though, I prefer to focus on teamwork, baton ski lis, and speed to get to the finish line.
 

4 X 200 Relay
    The 4 X 200 relay is now becoming more popular in high school championship meets, and it presents some different challenges than the 4 X 100 relay. I recommend that you look toward your 400-meter runners to handle this relay. Select sprinters can be involved in this relay in the proper order, possibly running the short leg (less than a full distance; Le., 180 to 190 meters). However, your 400-meter athletes will be able to maintain their speed and carry the baton through the zone without as much speed loss as shorter sprinters.
    The pass can be either a visual (4 X 400 pass) or a blind exchange. I have used the blind pass, but I rely on our running to make up for differences on the speed of the pass. Since we run this event only at our conference and indoor championship meets and at relay meets such as the Drake and Kansas Relays, we spend a minimal amount of time with the pass.
    Therefore, we use what I consider a safe technique. First, we always pass the baton right hand to left hand with the outgoing runner switching hands four to five strides after the pass is made (figure 7.7). This technique allows the runner with the stick to run on the inside of the lane, which is the shortest distance, to set up the next exchange. Second, we use the go mark, which is the track mark indicating the start of the international zone. The outgoing runner counts forward 16 steps from that point and begins to run at that location. This distance may vary based on the strength of the incoming runner. If the incoming runner is weaker than the outgoing runner, I want the outgoing runner to get the baton immediately inside the exchange zone. In that case, I would push the outgoing runner farther back from the start of the exchange zone for the go-mark and starting point.

    We use an auto-drop strategy here after six complete strides with the same leg. This usually results in a safe pass, keeping the baton moving, and it allows the race result to rest on the speed of the runners.
    The order of your team will vary considerably. My only suggestion is to be sure that your first two runners are mentally strong because they run a long stagger and must maintain their focus on what they are doing (and not become concerned about the distance between runners). If you run this event indoors, it is imperative that you lead with your best 200-meter runner as most 4 x 200meter relays run a three-turn stagger indoors. Having the clear track to run on is more advantageous than having speed at the end and trying to get around slower runners. In an indoor 4 X 200 relay, I would run in the following order of speed: first, second, fourth, third. The only time I would lead off with speed in an outdoor setting is if you draw the outside lane and you want to get away from the field so that by the time your opponents see what has happened, they cannot run you down with their speed.
 

4 X 400 Relay
    The 4 X 400 relay focuses on the strength of each runner's race, rather than the excellence of the baton work. It is important to maintain the speed of the baton through each of the exchanges, of course, but this can be accomplished by incorporating a visual passing technique into 200-meter repetitions during practice. The workout I am referring to is the five-man relay over 200 meters. We run 200s anywhere from 10 repetitions at the beginning of the season to 5 repetitions as the season progresses, with the speed increasing as I drop a repetition. The athletes are required to use the passing technique I expect for a meet, without the baton slowing down. Each athlete's rest during this drill is the time it takes the other four runners to run their 200 meters. I also use a whistle to keep everyone on pace, with the baton being passed at the whistle.
    The baton is carried in the right hand by each runner and is passed to the outgoing runners by the left hand, which means that the outgoing runner faces the infield when preparing to accept the baton (figure 7.8). The responsibility for making a solid pass falls on the outgoing runner, since he or she is fresh and the incoming runner is dealing with fatigue. The only responsibility of the incoming runner is to present the baton as a good target, by holding it vertically in the right hand and by running through the pass (Le., not slowing down).
The outgoing runner needs to judge the speed of the incoming runner so that the outgoing runner leaves on time, takes four fast-driving strides, looks down the track, then turns the upper body to the left, extends the left arm, and accepts the baton from the incoming runner. The outgoing runner does not switch hands before getting clear of the congestion created by the exchange area. The outgoing runner then proceeds to run the relay leg as if it were an open 400 meters.

Selecting the Relay
    The runner you select for the leadoff leg should be accustomed to running the entire distance within the lane and should be able to determine location at all times, a skill based directly on running a three-turn stagger. This runner should have the strength and speed to put your team squarely into the race. With three legs to go, I like to be in a position to challenge after the first leg.
    The second runner runs the first 100 meters within the lane, then makes the gradual cut from the lane to the pole that initiates the start of the second turn. As the runners begin the cut process, you runner will have to make adjustments based on how close the race is. Even if the runner is in one of the outside two lanes, that runner should still take the majority of the back straight before making this diagonal cut.
    It seems that most relay teams have been coached to put their slowest or weakest runner in the third position, and you can do the same or use this leg to make a move. The anchor leg is usually, but not always, the fastest of the quartet. However, I think that it is also important to have a great competitor on this leg, someone who has the ability to remain focused in the critical situation, who doesn't try to win the race too soon, and who continues through the finish line.
 

Here are some additional things to consider when selecting your 4 X 400 relay team:
    • With the indoor race, there is some logic to running a fast athlete on the leadoff leg so that you are able to win the cut and run in the first lane the entire way without obstruction.
    • You may want to run a different order if you are trying to run a qualifying time. By leading off one of your two top runners, you get a great start and a fast time on the clock. Then you allow all of your other runners to run from a rolling start, thus running faster. Again, this strategy is best when you are striving for a specific qualifying time rather than place.
    • In the trials of a championship meet, you may want to anchor your fastest runner if your other three are strong enough to put you into a qualifying position. All your anchor has to do then is get the baton around the track while expending the least amount of energy. You could also lead with and instruct your fastest runner to put the team into the top two positions, thereby assuring yourself that the runner won't sell out during the first leg (this also forces the other legs to be attentive and compete).
    • I sometimes employ a switch call by my anchor runner when the meet or race is on the line during a championship or major relay meet. This means that the anchor runner has the right to switch to the third leg, depending on the team's position when the second runner has 80 meters to go. This move can get a team back into a race so that the new anchor runner can be pulled through the final leg. The thinking is that if you are way back and everyone is anchoring their fastest runner, your athlete may run a great race but barely
move up; however, if you pass to the anchor runner while still in contention, it may get you a couple of more places by dragging this runner out and pulling him or her to a faster split.
    • Match up in championship meets. You will need to get the splits of all of your top competitors so that you can match up personnel in the finals to give your team the best opportunity to win the race and possibly the meet.
 

Taking Splits
    Questions and concerns often arise after the race about how splits were taken. The appropriate way to take splits in the 4 x 400 relay is by timing the baton when it crosses the starting-finish line, not when the runner crosses the starting-finish line. You take the split no matter which runner has the baton at the line because the race is really about how fast the baton gets around the track, not the runners.

FROM: Coaching Track & Field Successfully: By Mark Guthrie