What Makes People Fast?
My goal is to simplify / identify the major categories of skills needed for someone to run fast. Let’s move forward and limit the discussion to only two points.
Read through this summary. More importantly, I want you to study and practice the skills in the video link at the bottom. If you practice these skills twice per week, for 20-30 minutes, you will improve your 400m and 800m time. Study every segment of the 10-minute video. Master it! It may take you months of practice.
1st: An athlete’s speed on the track, or as I refer to it, “Speed Over Ground” (SOG) is governed by three measurements, regardless of the distance of the race.
Stride Length - how long is the stride at the desired race pace (measured in meters)
Stride Frequency - how many steps per second are taken at the desired race pace
Specific Endurance for the Event - how long can the runner endure at the required speed to excel in their event.
100m sprinters must endure in order to maintain a speed of about 10-11 meters per second. Sprinters begin to falter at about 50-60 meters.
400m long sprinters must endure to make it until the end. It is not uncommon to see a fast runner “fall apart” with 50 meters to go and get passed up by the field, going from 1st to 5th place.
Milers and 3K runners have a unique type of endurance to hold a pace of 6.0 - 6.7 meters per second (4:00 - 4:30 mile pace for men and women)
Marathoners require a specific type of strength, economy of motion, and endurance excel in their 2+ hour event
2nd: An athlete’s ability to develop the three measurements / skills above.
Stride Length and Specific Endurance are closely related. You will not see an exhausted runner with a long and powerful stride. Once exhausted, the runner must shorten the stride. If a runner were to continue they would eventually collapse to the ground - demonstrating the shortest of stride lengths!
Running workouts and weightlifting impact stride length and specific endurance.
Depending on the requirements of the event, from 100m to the marathon, we have identified the workouts needed to prepare an athlete to run powerfully and to endure over the required distance. I get the feeling we are still making advances in weight training and supplementary work needed to aid the body in recovery and adaptation. There are so many factors surrounding workout selection, nutrition, wellness, and strength training that make it difficult to pinpoint what really works “perfectly” for each athlete.
Stride Frequency: Stride Frequency (also called Stride Rate) is often underdeveloped within the masses of middle distance and longer distance runners, in my opinion. A large portion of the sprinting community understand the value of mechanical efficiency. Sprinters do a lot of drills and focus on leg placement. Stride Frequency is improved by developing the following:
Desired Range of Motion: There is a range of flexibility and stiffness required to maximize the effectiveness of each stride. Too much ROM could cause a “collapse point” within the stride, where the power output is compromised.
Think of a bridge that is too long with not enough supports… then, a long line of loaded tractor trailers drive over it and park, coupled with a heavy wind. The strain could cause a weakness, or compromise, or even a collapse point. The bridge is too flexible and not strong enough / able to support the weight.
Neuromuscular Coordination (NMC): NMC, to me, is the body’s ability to master the movement pattern of running fast. We want a fast and efficient movement pattern that moves the body forward quickly and powerfully.
Successful sprinters require a powerful stride and the ability to take about 5 of those strides per second. That skill is not easy to do.
When I work with a good 5K runner who has a horrible 800m time, I prescribe a healthy dose of NMC / Drill work. The 800m time is poor, likely because the 400m ability is poor. The person may be a good 5K runner, but not a good athlete. At the highest level of the sport many of the great 5K runners can also run a mean 800 or Mile. The elites of the sport have athletic range.
Some high school and college runners “run away” from athleticism and focus too much on the longer races. They feel good / reinforced - mainly because they don’t have much competition. Then, the stud miler moves up in distance and takes their place.
I assign at least 30 minutes per week, often more, for distance runners to practice and work on skills needed to run fast. It is often a study session to work on coordination. It is okay to struggle and make mistakes. Keep working toward mastery.
This video series is one of my favorites: