You Will Need
- A ‘Tester’ to shout “On Your Marks, Get Set and Go” and record time
- A Stopwatch
- 2 Cones or Garden Objects
How To Set Up and Record Your Result
Place your 2 Cones or Garden Objects 10 metres (m) apart on a flat, non-slip surface (or 20m if you have sufficient space). When the Tester shouts “On Your Marks”, stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, with your dominant foot slightly in front, just behind the first cone. Distribute most of your weight on the front foot. On “Set,” bend slightly at the hips and knees, keeping your head and chest up. From here, place your arms in the ready position with one arm high behind your back (this should be the same arm as your dominant foot) and one arm low in front of your body. You may also start in the three-point start position with your opposite hand to your dominant leg touching the ground (see image).
Finally, when the Tester shouts, “Go” explode towards the second cone straight ahead, touching it before returning to your starting point.
Primary 1-4 (Foundation & Key Stage 1) students will cover 40m and the Tester will record how long it takes using the stopwatch.
Primary 5-7 (Key Stage 2) Students will cover 60m and the Tester will record how long it takes using the stopwatch.
The Tester will then inform you of your time in seconds (s) to 2 decimal places, for example 23.13s.
Once you’ve got your time, record it in the Healthy Kidz App under Sports Day>Sprint.
Coaching Tips
- Try to push off as hard as you can from your starting point when the Tester shouts “Go”. Imagine a plane taking off on the runway.
- Move your hands using the ‘Hip to Lip’ technique.
- When turning ensure that you stay low and explode off the line each time to accelerate as quickly as possible.
How to Prepare
Perfect the ‘standing start’ or ‘three-point start’ by practicing every day.
Improve your reaction time by asking your Tester to call “Go” at the start of your practice sprints.
Practice 3 sprints over your allocated distance every day.
To improve Hip to Lip technique:
- Start by sitting on the ground with your chest up, moving hands and pointed fingers from Hip to Lip. Try keeping your elbows bent.
- Progress by standing on the spot moving hands only.
- Then, march on the spot with hands moving in co-ordination with knees.
- Move from a march to a jog, before finally finishing with super speed sprint on the spot, with hands moving from Hip to Lip on every step.
Before you start, get yourself in the mood for this event by watching Usain Bolt smash the 100m record way back in 2009- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=By1JQFxfLMM.