Athletics: Disciplines, Techniques, and Competitions

Posted on Feb 28, 2025 in Physical Education

Athletics: Techniques and Competitions

Running Disciplines

Shares Techniques

Running events can be categorized by distance and type:

  • Speed: 100m, 200m, and 400m
  • Middle-distance: 800m and 1500m
  • Long-distance: 3000m (women’s), 5000m, 10000m, and the marathon
  • Hurdles: 100m hurdles (women), 110m hurdles (men), 400m hurdles, and 3000m steeplechase
  • Relay: 4x100m and 4x400m
  • Race walking: 10km, 20km, and 50km (men)

Running Technique

The running stride has two phases:

  1. Stance phase: This includes landing, which provides momentum and acceleration.
  2. Swing phase: The leg advances through the air.

Two key factors influence running speed:

  • Stride Length: The distance covered in one stride.
  • Stride Frequency: The number of steps taken per unit of time.

Stride length and frequency are inversely proportional.

Phases of Sprinting

Sprinting can be broken down into three phases:

  1. Start: Athletes begin crouched, with their feet in starting blocks. They reach an upright position around 20m. Minimizing time wasted is crucial.
  2. Maximum Speed: Achieving peak velocity through proper running technique.
  3. Speed Endurance: Maintaining speed towards the end of the race.

Hurdles Technique

Hurdle races require precision. Athletes must clear the barriers while minimizing disruption to their running technique. Coordination of arms, legs, and torso is essential to maintain speed.

Relay Technique

Relay races are the only team events in track. Four athletes each run a portion of the race, passing a baton to the next runner within a 20m exchange zone. The handover is done by hand, from right to left or vice versa. To avoid losing speed, the receiving athlete has a 10m pre-zone to accelerate before receiving the baton in motion. After receiving the baton, the runner should not look back.

Competitions

Jumping Events

Jumping events share common phases:

  1. Approach Run: The run-up to the takeoff area. Speed increases gradually to a maximum (except in the high jump).
  2. Takeoff: The moment the athlete propels themselves upwards. This is the most critical phase.
  3. Flight: The airborne phase. The body makes necessary movements to clear the bar (high jump and pole vault) or to optimize landing position.
  4. Landing: The final phase. It is most important in the long jump and triple jump, where distance is the goal.

Throwing Events

Throwing events have four phases:

  1. Preparation: The athlete holds the implement and prepares for the throw.
  2. Movement: A sequence of movements designed to increase the speed of the body and the implement.
  3. Release: Using correct technique for each discipline to impart maximum momentum to the implement.
  4. Recovery: The post-release phase where the athlete attempts to maintain balance and stay within the throwing area.

Did You Know?

  1. Some athletes compete in multiple disciplines. The two combined events are the decathlon and the heptathlon.
    • Decathlon (Men): A ten-event competition held over two days:
      • Day 1: 100m, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400m
      • Day 2: 110m hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, 1500m
    • Heptathlon (Women): A seven-event competition:
      • Day 1: 100m hurdles, shot put, high jump, 200m
      • Day 2: Long jump, javelin throw, 800m
  2. Different implements used in throwing events have specific measures and weights.
  3. Athletics is not practiced exclusively in stadiums. Cross-country competitions take place in forests and parks, and marathons are run on city streets.
  4. The inside lane of a standard athletics track is popularly referred to as “lane one” and measures 400m.