CoachesEducation.com

Can you give me a description of the sprint model for 200 meters and 400
meters? Can you explain the breakdown of the races into segments?

Thanks,
Coach Barron

Running the 200m is broken down into 4 segments.
1.
The first 50 meters is run like you are running "uphill" with a very
forceful arm swing (see your hands).
2.
From the 50 to the 80 you are swinging fast but comfortable to maintain
the rhythm. Notice I did not say swing the arm quick. This a "carry" zone
where you run with the speed from the first 50m.
3.
At the 80 meter mark you will see the acceleration zone mark for the
relay and that is where I run the arms as if I were running "downhill" with
a quicker swing to rev up off the turn. This zone goes from the 80 to the
120.
4.
From the 120 to the finish line you hold the quick swing to the wire. Run
tall, and keep the hands under your chin and drive the elbows back behind
you to the finish. This will keep you from "bombing" the turn and dying in the last 50. This must be practiced to make it feel comfortable.

For the 400 meters the run is similar.
1.
The first 50m is a strong push at about 95% effort and then you carry the
pace through the rest of the turn.
2.
You "float fast" down the back stretch (I try not to say relaxed to
youngsters) to the acceleration zone of the relay.
3.
At the Accel zone you pump the arms like you are running up hill (sound
familiar?? - 200m) and this drives you into the turn.
4.
You carry the run up to the 280, or where the last relay accel mark is
and you run the arms downhill with a little quicker arm movement. You run this to the 320 - 340.
5.
From the 320 to the wire it's guts and glory, mom, apple pie, the flag,
all that you hold near and dear to your heart. Keep the arm frequency
turning over. Fight the urge to dig in.

Tony Veney

I tell the athletes to treat their 200m starts exactly like their 100m starts with regards to maximal effort. Certainly accelerating into a curve can present some problems and the block settings will be angled somewhat out to in if you are in an outer lane attempting to create a long straight line for acceleration.

The only difference between the 100 and 200, as I see it, is the initial acceleration, though carried out maximally, is just not carried out as long in the 200. If an athlete can accelerate to 40m before reaching top speed in a 100m, they should probably attempt to accelerate out to about 35m before settling on that speed to maintain and relax - going along for the ride. Once you have reached TOP speed for that race, you can't go any faster so just try to maintain your sprint mechanics to minimize speed losses for the remainder of the race and relax.

Over time, as your acceleration capacity and your max speed improve, you can probably go out a little farther, but I feel it will still be somewhat limited by the curve so you have to be very careful about pushing it here since the possibility of injury could be fairly high in this zone. Note, I am not advocating a jog on the curve, only a slightly more controlled sprint than the 100m would be, and relaxation and a floating section of the race would be advisable where the athlete does not really have the pedal to the metal.