The Physics of Sprinting

Types of Crouched Starts
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There are three main types of crouched starts. The difference between these starting positions is found during the "on your marks" part of the start. The "On your marks" part of the race is when the sprinter is in the starting blocks and they are in their very first phase of the start.The hands of the sprinter are shoulder width apart, their knees are bent with the knee of the back leg on the ground and their feet are on the starting blocks. The start has three phases: on your marks, get set, then the whistle or gun.



The horizontal distance between the toes of the front foot and the toes of the back foot, when the sprinter is in this positon, is what changes. Basically its just the distance between your front foot and back foot in the starting blocks.

tara.jpg
This sprinter is using the medium start.

BULLET START
The first type of sprint start is called a bullet or bunch start . The toes of the back foot are about level with the heel of the front foot . Both of the feet are placed well behind the starting line. The toe to toe distance is said to be 25 to 30 centimetres. In this start, your feet are closest together, compared to the other starts. Because your feet are close together, your legs and body are "bunched" together. That is why it is called the bunched, or bullet start.

MEDIUM START
The second type of sprint start is called medium start. In this the knee of the back leg is opposite the front foot. The toe to toe distance said to be 40 to 55 centimetres. In this start, the feet are closer together than the elongated start but farther apart than the bullet start. Its in the middle. That's why it is called the medium start, because it is in between the other two.

ELONGATED START
The third type of sprint start is called the elongated start. The sprinter has their knee of the back leg level, or slightly behind the front foot's heel. The toe to toe distance is 60 to 70 centimetres. In this start, your feet are spread out farther than the other two. Your back leg is stretched or elongated, behind you.