1/27/2015

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Relay Exchanges4 x 100 and 4 x 400Brad Timmons – Assistant Track and Field

Center Grove High School

Greenwood, IN

First some thank “yous”

• Special thanks to all of those influencing my coaching career,

specifically in the field of relays:

1. Coach Johnson, Robert H.

2. Eric Moore

3. Mike Chastain

4. Mike Davidson

5. Marty Mills – strength coach at Center Grove High School

Philosophy on Sprinters

• At Center Grove we do not exactly see the raw DNA

characterizing the other teams in our conference. Therefore,

we must:

1. Maximize our talent.

a. We are blessed to have kids who will give us all they have.

b. Reduce all wasted movement (lines, lines, lines)

c. Never give up on younger athletes (Stoner, Veteto, Schwartz)

d. Stress nutrition and the weight room.

2. Minimize injuries. We cannot afford to lose a single athlete

and our workouts are designed to ensure we stay healthy.

General Warm Up

• Always the same starting point for each practice.

1. Static stretching before leaving locker room

2. Hurdle walk-over drills

3. Hurdle rhythm drills

4. Dynamic flex drills

5. Form Running Drills

6. Heel walk and toe taps

7. Mini-hurdle runs

Hurdle Walk-Over Drills:

• These drills are done primarily as a means of warming up our

hips and warming up our groin muscles.

1. Right leg lead

2. Left leg lead

3. Alternating right and left one per hurdle

4. Right leg lead – walk over duck under

5. Left leg lead – walk over duck under

• These can also be done with athletes keeping their hands on

top of their heads for increased core/balance development

Hurdle Rhythm Drills:

1. These drills are done stimulate both the glutes and the

hamstrings

2. Bent leg traveling right, bent leg traveling left

a. Foot dorsi-flexed

b. Heel tight to glute

c. Arms in a running motion – not straight or moving across body

d. These can also be done down the center of the hurdles forcing kids

to keep their toes dorsi-flexed and up on the balls of their feet

3. Straight leg traveling right, straight leg traveling left

a. Foot-dorsi-flexed

b. Leg as straight as possible

c. Arms in running motion – not straight or moving across

body

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Dynamic Flexibility Drills:

• These drills are done to further stimulate the muscles in order to prevent any injury during the forthcoming workout. Six to 10 repetitions each.

1. Standing leg swings – side to side

2. Standing leg swings – left to right

3. Side swings – leg straight, back flat, hips square

4. Fire hydrants – emphasize flat backs and square shoulders/hips.

5. Hip circles

6. Bicycles

7. Inverted Scissors

8. Sagital Scissors

9. Scorpions – both face up and face down

10. Seated hurdle exchange – also done with a lead-leg lift (2-3”)

11. Russian Cossacks

Running Drills:

1. We will choose between seven and 10 drills to perform each day depending on the time of the season and the soreness of our athletes. These are ALWAYS done on lines!

2. Must also consider the level of difficulty for younger athletes.

3. Music is a great accompaniment to performing these drills. Anything which will help with rhythm and coordination.

4. If done on our football field, we will run on yard lines, change drills at the first hash, and then jog out once we hit the second hash.

5. If cannot be done outside due to weather we complete each drills for 20-25 meters.

6. All drills done on balls of feet. Heels should not touch the ground

7. Arms do not cross mid-point of body for any drill.

8. Arms at 90 degrees or slightly more (can sit kids of floor and cycle arms if they are too long)

* Also think of hammering nails in wall behind you (Johnson)

Running Drills Continued:

1. Ballerinas

2. Carioca – stress high knee when crossing over.

3. Russian Walks

4. Russian Skips

5. A-Skips

6. B-Skips

7. C- Skips

8. Reverse Open-Hip Skips

9. Quick leg (right on way down, left on way back)

10. Quick leg alternating

11. Prime Times to End Zones (legs straight, not leaning back)

12. Straight-leg run (Korfist)

13. Heel walks (toes in, toes out, toes straight ahead)

14. Toe taps (toes in, toes out, toes straight ahead)

Mini-Hurdle Runs

1. Six-inch banana hurdles

2. Start with eight and go as high as 12.

3. Spaced evenly

a. 1.9 meters (6 feet)

b. 2.0 meters (6’6”)

c. 2.1 meters (6’10”)

d. 2.2 meters (7’2”)

*No one should space hurdles longer than 2.2 meters. If 2.2 is

easy to meet with 10 barriers add more barriers. I have yet to

meet a high school athlete who can maintain 2.2 for more than a

few barriers before their form suffers due to fatigue.

…if you do not have mini-hurdles

• If you do not have mini-hurdles at your disposal:

1. Do a series of build-ups:

a. Build for 30 yards

b. Sprint (max effort, max power) for 30 yards

c. Decelerate for 30 yards

2. Follow up with heel walks and toe taps.

Now for the 4 x 100:

1. 4 x 100 Personnel groupings – by far the trickiest

A. Most reliable, gunfighter, solid starter of the four selected.

B. Wildcat as number two…possible first or second fastest of the

group.

C. Best turn runner…does not have to gain much necessarily but

cannot lose due to poor technique (Chastain always looks for

the duck-footed runner).

D. Most competitive of the group. Hates to lose…second fastest if

not the fastest.

i. As an addendum, some will say to not save your fastest for last, at

least in the sprint relay (4 x 100), but you also want to be able to

close and gain place if possible.

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4 x 100: The Exchange Zone

• A point you cannot stress enough is the need for the incoming

runner to chase the outgoing runner all the way out of the

exchange zone!

• Regarding the timing of the baton:

• 2.0 through the zone equates to 40 flat

• At Center Grove our boys shoot for 2.2 – 2.6 and our girls shoot

for 2.6 – 3.0.

4 x 100: Starting Positions

• Runners two and four are on the outside half of the lane, and runners one and three occupy the inside half.

1. Outgoing runner stands all the way back to the start of the acceleration zone.

2. As a starting point, outgoing runner walks back 17 heel-to-toe steps on the inside of the lane (always the inside, always in spikes) and at step 17 draws a large box in the lane.

3. Outgoing runner then stands at the start of the acceleration zone, and takes off when the incoming runner hits the box drawn 17 steps back.

4. Outgoing runner puts his/her arm back when they enter the zone,and not before entering the zone.

5. Outgoing runner will GRADUALLY slow if not having received the baton by the half-way point of the zone.

6. Incoming runner will chase outgoing runner all the way through the zone before slowing…toughest point to coach…at least for me.

7. If baton is dropped, incoming runner retrieves, not both.

Relay Markings

Zone Chasing 4x100 Positions Continued:

8. Number two and four runner occupy the outside half of the

lane, runners one and two occupy the inside half of the lane.

9. Numbers one and three carry the baton in their right hand,

and runners two and four carry the baton in their left hand.

* no one switches hands in this relay

4 x 100 Hand Placement on Reach

• 1. Hand high

• Fingers outstretch

• Palm flat

• Thumb Down

• Full Extension for both outgoing and incoming runners

• Incoming runner must focus on target and nothing else!

1/27/2015

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High Hand, Thumb Down, Palm Flat4 x 200/4x400: Spacing and Starting Points1. Second, third and fourth runners all stand on the outside

half of the lane, face the inside of the track, and will reach

back with their left hand.

2. In the 4 x 200, if you have an acceleration zone, have the

outgoing runner count back fifteen steps from the START of

the exchange zone, stand there, and use the start of the

exchange zone as your GO mark.

3. Reach back when you enter the zone...roughly three steps

from ones starting point.

4. Once out of the zone, or as soon as possible and safe,

change and run with the baton in your right hand, and run

on the inside half of the lane.

5. Incoming runner MUST chase out of the zone!

4x400 Personnel Groupings

1. Again, a solid starter who can gain you at least one position

or more.

2. Second runner, longest leg, most passing, most aggressive

bump and run athlete. Must get you in a position to be

competitive in the race.

3. Maintenance leg…if there is one…solid exchange…will not

relinquish position…gutsy runner.

4. Anchor leg – the ALPHA DOG – make it or break it runner.

The cards have been played. Great closer, competitor, the

boss…and this HAS to be his/her mindset, period!

Final Points:

1. All runners, regardless of what relay they may be running,

MUST chase out of the zone. Baton has to get through the

zone as smooth, safe, and quick as possible.

2. 4 x 200 and 4 x 400 exchanges are totally open.

3. Act like you are reaching in the refrigerator for a two-liter, or

like you are reaching back to choke the incoming

runner…whatever works.

4. This actually mimics how high one’s hand should be when

reaching back for the baton – chest to neck high.

5. As opposed to the 4 x 100, in the 4 x 200 and 4 x 400, the

outgoing runner will retrieve a dropped baton. Outgoing

runner stay strong in lane and maintain eye contact with

your teammate.

The Reach