Sprint drills: 14 drills and when to use them
By the Sprint University coaching team
Sprint drills let you rehearse sprinting positions at low speed so you can hold them at full speed. Do them in your warm-up and pick them for the day. Before acceleration work, use posture and push drills like the A-march, A-skip and wall drives. Before top-speed work, use straight-leg bounds, high knees and wicket runs, which train stiff ankles and rhythm.
Keep each drill to one or two runs of 15–20m. The sprints that follow are still the main work of the day.
Match the drills to the session
Elite sprinters typically do skips, high knees and straight-leg bounding in their warm-up. Sprint University runs them in a set order so each drill leads into the next.
On acceleration days the order is A-march, A-skip and wall drives, followed by heavy sled pulls or build-ups. Top-speed days go straight-leg bounds, high knees, then wicket runs. At the end of the session you finish with a short warm-down of hurdle walk-overs, marching runs or backward runs.
Acceleration drills
Use these to practice the forward lean, a full push off the ground and quick, powerful steps. Sled work, hill sprints and starts are in the acceleration drills guide.
A-march
March forward standing tall on one leg and drive the other knee up, toe pulled toward the shin (dorsiflexed). It teaches tall posture, knee drive and a stiff foot that's ready to strike.
A-skip
The A-march with a skip in it. Drive the knee up in rhythm, then punch the foot down under your hip like a piston, which adds rhythm and an aggressive downward strike.
Wall drives (posture holds)
Lean into a wall at about 45° with your body in one line. Drive one knee up and hold it, then switch legs. The hold locks in your acceleration body angle and knee position.
Leg dribbles
Small, fast ankling steps that rise a little higher each step and build into an acceleration. They connect quick foot contacts to the start of a sprint.
Falling starts
Stand tall and lean forward until you have to catch yourself, then sprint out of the fall. You learn the forward lean and the first-step push without blocks.
Top-speed drills
At top speed you have a very short ground contact in which to push a lot of force down into the track. These drills build stiff ankles and rhythm, along with front-side mechanics, meaning the knee lifts in front of your body and the foot recovers under the hip.
Straight-leg bounds
Bound forward on locked knees, springing off your ankles and pulling the ground back under you. This builds forefoot stiffness and the pulling action of top-speed running.
High knees
Cycle the knees fast and pop each foot off the ground the moment it lands. It trains front-side mechanics and quick contacts.
B-skip
Do an A-skip, then extend the lead leg and paw it back down under your hip. You rehearse the whole leg cycle and an active strike, and your hamstrings get some work too.
Ankling
Take short, fast steps on nearly straight legs and strike with the ball of the foot to build a stiff ankle and quick ground contacts.
Butt kicks
Pull the heel up fast so it travels straight up under your hip instead of swinging out behind you. You're practicing a short, fast recovery path for the foot.
Wicket runs
Sprint over a line of mini hurdles spaced progressively further apart, for example 5, 5.5, then 6 feet. The spacing makes you hold stride length and rhythm without overstriding.
The Sprint University app
Your drill list, written into each session
Acceleration days and top-speed days in Sprint University open with different drill sequences. The app lists each drill with its distance and order, so you can start as soon as you reach the track.
Get Sprint UniversityWarm-down drills
Almost every Sprint University session ends with a few minutes of warm-down drills. They keep posture and hip mobility work in your week without adding much time.
Hurdle walk-overs
Walk over a row of hurdles, lead leg then trail leg, staying tall. Use them for hip mobility and posture once the work is done.
Marching runs
Short runs with an exaggerated marching rhythm, sometimes switching between a quick and a regular tempo. They reinforce tall posture and rhythm at low speed.
Backward runs
Run backward on the balls of your feet, reaching back with each step. The program uses them in the warm-down to work the quads and calves in a different pattern.
Common mistakes
- Too much volume
- Ten drills for 40m each is a workout on its own. Pick three or four and keep each run short.
- Going through the motions
- A lazy A-skip rehearses a lazy stride. Do fewer reps and make each one crisp.
- Drills instead of sprints
- Every speed day still needs fast sprints after the drills are done.
- Same drills every day
- Match the drills to the session: push and posture before acceleration, stiffness and rhythm before top speed.
The sprint warm-up guide shows where these drills fit in the full routine, and sprint form describes the positions they build.
The Sprint University app
Drills, sprints and lifts in one program
Sprint University builds the acceleration and top-speed sessions these drills lead into, and adjusts each one to your HRV, resting heart rate and sleep.
Get Sprint UniversityFAQ
More guides
- Plyometrics for SprintersBounds, broad jumps, depth jumps and hurdle hops for sprinters, with sets for each and how to progress.
- Acceleration DrillsSled pushes, hill sprints, falling starts and 10–40m sprints to train your first steps.
- Sprint Warm-UpA 15–20 minute sprint warm-up, with versions for acceleration days and top-speed days.
- How to Get Faster for FootballSprint training for football players: your stance, the first 10 yards and a faster 40-yard dash.
- Speed Training for SoccerMatch sprint demands, curved sprints, repeated sprint ability, and speed weeks for in season and off-season.
- Speed Training for BasketballFirst step quickness, court sprint demands, plyos and in-season speed work for basketball players.
Sources
- Haugen T, Seiler S, Sandbakk Ø, Tønnessen E. The Training and Development of Elite Sprint Performance: an Integration of Scientific and Best Practice Literature. Sports Medicine – Open, 2019.
- Weyand PG et al. Faster top running speeds are achieved with greater ground forces not more rapid leg movements. Journal of Applied Physiology, 2000.
- Nagahara R et al. Association of Sprint Performance With Ground Reaction Forces During Acceleration and Maximal Speed Phases in a Single Sprint. Journal of Applied Biomechanics, 2018.