Now that I have your attention, the GACA runs quarterly webinars at different time zones: 8am UK (aka “EAST”) and 5pm UK (aka “WEST”), with different speakers for both sessions. Yes, they are also recorded and can be found on the EACA Youtube channel.

This year’s overarching theme of the panel discussion is “Developing the path from U20 to Senior Level athletes.” The discussion centers on the complex journey of transitioning track & field athletes from the Under-20 (U20) junior level to (Elite) senior-level competition.

The panel explores how early sporting systems often reward immediate junior results – implicitly pushing early specialization and overcrowded competition schedules – at the expense of long-term athlete maturity, well-being, and late-developer potential.

The format includes 3 high performance coaches, not limited to Track & Field. The “East” session is moderated by Cliff Mallett and Richie Mercado for the “West” session.

Register for the EAST session here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_K_K9-qhtTaafv8Spp64AXw

Register for the WEST session here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_S6jkq1eKRIek2d2FeJR2OQ

As always, there is no cost to join these webinars.

Past sessions can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/@eacaeuropeanathleticscoaches/videos

East Session Speakers

James Fitzpatrick, Head Pole Vault Coach at the Western Australian Institute of Sport, and coach of Nina Kennedy (Olympic gold medallist, World Championships gold and bronze medallist).

Katie Edwards is passionate about high performance sport, athlete wellbeing, and team culture. She is the Head of Sport at Pymble Ladies’ College, Sydney, and a Level 4 Coach – both able-bodied and para-athletes across a range of disciplines. Specialising in the sprints Katie has coached several athletes at a high-performance level.

Luis Cunha bring over 45 years of experience in high-performance sports. From multiple Olympian (88, 92 and 96), national champion, and record holder in sprints, to various coaching, academic and management positions. He has served as Head National Coach (Portugal and Singapore), as a University Lecturer, conducting research in Sport Modelling and Sprint Biomechanics at Lisbon University and Deputy Director at Singapore Sports Institute.

Under his guidance athletes transition from grassroots to international competitions, with numerous national records and medals won at European Athletics Championships, Asian Athletics Championships, and Asian Games. A notably example is Shanti Pereira, an all-time best Asian sprinter and current Asian Games champion, multiple Olympian, and Asian medalist in the 100m and 200m events.

The post Coaching Matters webinar – June 2026 Edition appeared first on SpeedEndurance .com.

I still do the occasional indoor spin bike workout.

Coming from Montreal Canada, when tracks were closed in the winter months, we would use the indoor stationary bikes to emulate a track workout, followed by Circuit training! Today, my basic indoor spin bike workout would be:

• 10 min warm up, building up speed/RPM over time
• 10 sets of 15 sec hard / 45 sec easy with timer
• 10 min cool down

Total is 30 min. I use the Gymboss (now a free app on iPhones or Android, with ads) to beep every 15-45 (also called EMOM… Every Minute On the Minute). Instead of waiting for the timer, you could count 30 cycles on one of your feet, so this would be 120 RPM.

Okay, it’s nowhere near the 4 or 5 strides per second you need on the track for a decent 100m, but it’s better than nothing. In fact, World-Class Sprinters attack ground to maximize impact forces and speed. So turnover is good, but you better have the strength at ground contact if you want to run fast. Really fast.

If you need to increase the volume, that’s easy to do on all parts of the workout.

• 12 min warm up, building up speed/RPM over time
• 20 sets of 15 sec hard / 45 sec easy with timer
• 12 min cool down

The above totals 44 minutes.

You can do this workout to music or podcasts.

Of course, be sure to check out my Woodway Curve Treadmill workout if you have access to one!

No excuses!

The post My Indoor Alternate Workout – The Spin Bike appeared first on SpeedEndurance .com.

We already know the outcome, but let’s have a deeper dive in analysing the splits & race execution.

Let’s see who has the great 200m speed and speed reserve. On paper, Adeleke has a 0.62 second PR advantage in the 200m over Kaczmarek (now Bukowiecka), showing incredible speed. Adeleke also ran a wind-assisted 10.84-second 100m earlier that year!

But the race is 400m!

There are tons of articles about the importance of Speed Reserve here on this Blog.

The race was close, and look at Adeleke’s near perfect start based on her reaction time! That is being close to a DQ!

We don’t have insight on her training, but I assume the training is in place.

So it all comes down to race execution, where ideally, you run the 1st 200 about 1 second slower than your 200m PB. If you can run faster than 1 second, like Kaczmarek, even better, but the training must be there. You must trust your training, you must trust your coach, and you must trust the process!

The stats & splits above show Adeleke should have (could have) attacked the first 200m faster, say 23.34.

In this great article where they interviewed her coach Edrick Floreal, he makes some interesting comments about the race results:

Floreal wanted Adeleke to utilise that to her advantage, believing that if she went through 200m in 22.9 or 23.0, it would not only be the most efficient way for her to race but also put pressure on her chief rival. But as soon as the gun fired, he was worried. “I knew it from the first step that she just didn’t feel comfortable (attacking the first 200m),” he says. “It was too slow.” 

He wants Adeleke to follow a similar approach to Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the Olympic champion and world record holder in the 400m hurdles who Floreal used to coach at the University of Kentucky. “You get out hard in the beginning, use your speed to your advantage and use your strength to maintain the form at the end,” he says.

Adeleke hit halfway in 23.69, with Kazcmarek a yard ahead in 23.59. The Dubliner closed up around the bend, turning for home level. But the home straight is the strongest part of Kazcmarek’s race and the Pole – who’s five years older than Adeleke, with several more years of conditioning – edged Adeleke to victory with a stronger last 50m.

The post Why a Fast First 200m is Critical to 400m Success appeared first on SpeedEndurance .com.

16 teams will qualify for both Men’s & Women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay, as well as the Mixed 4×400. The Olympics or World Championships will have 2 semi-finals using a Top 3 (Q), and next 2 fastest times (q) for advancement to the Finals.

There are 3 ways to make the 16 team cut:

1. Top 8 Finalist at the World Athletics Relays (Bahamas 24; Guangzhou China 25; Gaborone, Botswana 2026; Nassau, Bahamas 2027)
2. The next 6 from the Repechage (next day)
3. The last 2 will be chosen from the World rankings.

World Athletics Relays (Bahamas 24 branded)

Top 8 Finalists

There are 4 heats with 8 teams, so as long as you finish top 2, you are secured a spot for the Finals, as well as the “Major” later that year (i.e. Paris 2024, World Champs in Tokyo)

Once you make the Finals, then getting a top 3 medal is obviously the next priority!

Next 6 from the Repechage

There are now 3 heats with 8 teams, so as long as you finish top 2, you are secured a spot for the “Major”.

It’s common to see celebrations when they finished second in this round! Liberia’s Men’s 4×100 with Joseph Fahnbulleh finishing 2nd (and 6th on 6) in the Repechage comes to mind!

So go hard, or go home!

Final 2 chosen from the World rankings

This is harder than it looks. Even the Men’s Jamaican team didn’t secure a top 16 for for Paris 2024! Not having your best team at World Relays didn’t help, either.

If a Team or Country declines, then you can move up in the ranking.

Individual Events (Paris 2024)

Here is a chart from World Athletics.

In the 200m example above, 18 spots are based on finish (Q), with the remaining 6 (q) spots determined by 30 athletes (48 – 18 = 30). This gives every athlete a chance to run twice. This also gives the Olympics to fill in the morning session “gaps”.

I attended 2 morning sessions in Paris, and I have to admit, the races were thoroughly entertaining. The athletes probably complained, but hey, who gets to say they ran twice at the Olympics?

How many from the Repechage round actually made the finals? That is, run 4 times? (QF, Repechage, Semi-Finals, Finals) Remember, the automatic qualifiers (the Q) had a rest day, while the repechage runners had to run hard the very next day!

The answer is 2.

One is the famous USA hurdler Freddie Crittenden who purposely ran the heats easy (too easy? fair game? he just finished… rules are rules!) because he knew he was guaranteed a spot for the repechage, thus running the repchage race as the actual quarter-finals! Top 2 or go home!

Will we see Repechage in LA 2028? Time will tell.

The post How the World Relays Repechage Works appeared first on SpeedEndurance .com.

1. Seeds, Advancement, and Lanes
2. Age grouping
3. 3 point Starting position
4. False Starts, Lane Infringement & Yellow cards 
5. Uniforms (or Kit)

Now, the first point I disagree with. The other 4 points, I agree & support the rules.

Seeds, Advancement, and Lanes

This rule irks me.

So it’s Rankings, then Lanes draw.

In the above example (WMA 2024, M45 400m SF), you can see my GBR countryman & teammate Gavin Stephens had the 3rd fastest time in the semi-finals. But because of “ranking”, he was ranked 7th and given Lane 1 for the finals. (He ended up finishing 2nd anyways)

So the ranking were as follows (see “Group” in red box, above ):
(1-1), (2-1), (3-1), (1-2)
Given lanes 4-7-5-6. Then,
(2-2), (3-2), (1-3)q, (1-4)q
Given lanes 8-3-1-2

These lane draws should have been 3-4-5-6, then 7-8, then 1-2 as per the rules. See below:

The moral of the story? Win your Heat, regardless of time. Or come 2nd if you must (regardless of time, somewhat). Easier said than done at the World level. I don’t like the ranking rules, and they should adhere to the lane draws.

SIDENOTE: If they used the new rules for Budapest 2023, it’s:
5-6-7. Then 3-4-8. Then 1-2 based on times. See PDF below:

Age Groups

Let’s say the WMA World Masters competition start on July 1-10, but your 50th birthday is July 4, and your first event is July 6.

You will be entered in the M45/W45 for all your events during the meet, because it’s based on the start date of the competition. It just sucks that your competition will be tougher, and you may be challenged to advance to the next round.

But if you set a record (world, national, regional, club, etc), it WILL count in the M50/W50 category. If you set a world record, then running against ‘younger kids’ won’t hurt you!

And there is no problem in running a relay in M45/W45 as you can have ‘older runners’. That’s why relays are marked M40-99, for example. (Not sure why you’d want a M90 guy running in the M40 relay?)

3 point Starting Position

In Masters, you CAN use a 3 point start, like a 40 yard dash. You CAN even use 1 block pedal for your rear foot only. I’m not sure if they still make them, but check out the MOYE Victory Starting Blocks. Or if you have the Gill Fusion block series (the official USATF ones), you can buy the Moye pedal adapter to ‘convert’ to a 3 point blocks. (I did a full review on the Gill Fusion F10)

But you cannot use a 3 point start in open meets, as it must be 2 point standing (800m), or 4 points with or without blocks.

I tried 2 points, and felt wobbly, to the point where I could get a false start.

I tried 3 point start in an open meet, and got told off by the Official.

So 4 point start with no blocks is fine by me. Like Alan Wells. Or just always use blocks, and be consistent.

More information on the 3 point start can be found at Break the Box: The Case for the Three Point Start.

False Starts, Lane Infringement & Yellow cards 

This rule can be interpreted many ways.

If you get a yellow card from a false start, a lane violation (L) or even showing up to the Call room late, does the false start carry with you to the next round? Or for the duration of the competition, like a football/soccer match?

I can see 2 false starts or yellow cards in the same race as an automatic DQ. That makes sense. (it’s in the rule book)

But what happens when you get a yellow card in the heats? Does it carry over to the semi-finals and finals? The rule seems to vary. Check with the officials.

Uniforms (or Kit)

You must wear the official uniform or kit (a UK term) from your country.

If you come 3rd with an illegal singlet, the 4th place finisher can file a protest to DQ you, so he gets 3rd place! I’ve seen this before!

Team GB has only 1 official kit, but Team Canada has several official uniforms.

At the open World Athletics Championships, recently in Nanjing Indoors 2025, Team USA can be seen wearing 2 different styles of singlets, but in the heats only. The Finals requires the same uniform.

Also, your team can get fined for $10K if you go to the award podium with the wrong kit. Remember Ryan Crouser had to wear a super small sweater given by his teammate?

So you must also wear the official uniform at medal ceremonies. If you don’t have a sweater or jacket, just show up in your singlet. (then again, what are they going to do? DQ you?)

There are a few more oddities in Masters Track, but these are the ones that come to mind. Especially the first point above!

The post 5 Different Rules for Masters Track (vs Open, High School, Elite) appeared first on SpeedEndurance .com.

If you are going to Athens, then as a Track & Field fan you must visit the original the Panathenaic Stadium, site of the 1896 Olympic Games.

Here are some logistics I will cover in this summary:

• entry
• workout
• stadium
• super curve track, and a slight downhill!
• the warm up & Call room area, now a hidden museum
• What the entrance to the stadium would have felt like (video)

Entry

Back in 2022, it was €10 per person, and €1 to use the bathroom just next to the stadium. As of 2025, it is €12 per person, and €1.50 to use the bathroom. Full details are here.

Can I Workout in the Stadium?

The answer is yes, but don’t expect to run PB’s for 200m. See more about the curve below.

Morning Jogging is permitted from 07:30 until 09:00, and they say you must fill out a waiver form. I filled out mine, in Greek, with the help of Google translate, but the ticket booth or security guard didn’t ask for it.

The Stadium

What can I say? Wow. Still intact. Unlike the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, or even the 2004 Olympics in Athens! (We won’t talk about the state of the Montreal 1976 stadium!)

Made of marble, 29,400 cubic meters or 85.1 Million tons!

Other than 1896, it was used for the finish line for the 2004 Olympic Marathon as well as Archery.

Today, it is the finish line for the annual Authentic Marathon every November, which starts at the Battle of Marathon (more later on this in another post)

The Curve

Yes, the curve. And the straightaways are slightly downhill too!

The official track dimensions quotes 191m in length and 34m wide for the entire track. One lap of the track is 400m.

The unit stadion (plural stadia) is also anglicized as stade, which is 600 Ancient Greek feet (podes). The exact conversion varies, but this track had a straightaway of 178m which means the curve is 22m! On an indoor track, 50m-50m is normal, I’ve seen very ‘fat’ indoor tracks like Lee Valley (40-60?) and ‘skinny’ tracks like Cardiff (60-40?). So a 22m curve is very steep. Lane 1 or Lane 6, it’s all bad!

When you consider Thomas Burke won the 400m in 56.2 (58.4 in the heats), his PB was 48.5 on a standard track. That curve will slow you down!

See also:
https://speedendurance.com/2008/07/28/track-dimensions-how-many-feet-is-400-meters/ and
https://speedendurance.com/2015/04/01/top-3-weirdest-tracks/

The (Hidden) Museum

The entrance is located opposite the Finish line, or the “1500m start line”. It’s also included in the price on admission.

This used to be the locker room or changing room for the athletes, and doubled as the Call Room. Here, you can see posters and Olympic torches used in past Olympiads, among other memorabilia.

Entering the Stadium (what it felt like)

Imagine you were competing in 1896… this is what it would it would feel like as you leave the call room and enter the stadium! (I added the sound for effects)

The post Visiting Athens, Greece, site of first Modern Olympic Games appeared first on SpeedEndurance .com.

The current world record for the 300m hurdles is 33.26 by Karsten Warholm in 2021.

But the confusing part is the 300mH is a popular event in USA high schools, but the spacings are different, as well as an extra hurdle! It’s 8, not 7!

As you can see in the above chart, the standard 300mH is 50m to H1, not 45m as in the 400mH.

The other difference is USA HS 300mH uses the same spacing (45m to H1, 35m between hurdles) except for the 8th hurdle, and “only” 10m run in to the finish line.

Karsten Warholm’s 300M Hurdles World Record

Below is the WR video from 2021, still held during the covid pandemic. How many people can run 33.26 without hurdles?

The post 300 meter Hurdle marks explained appeared first on SpeedEndurance .com.

Fun facts:

From 2015-2019 on average 47 men per year ran under 4:00 for the Mile. In 2025 this number is 244. 
From 2015-2019 on average 60 women per year ran under 4:40 for the Mile. In 2025 this number is 221.

Each year I produce various analyses on the topic of the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic and Carbon-Plated/Foam Shoes and Spikes Technology on Annual Performance Lists. I said last year that I didn’t believe that anyone has given them this sort of analysis and I don’t believe anyone has yet actioned an updated analysis to 2025.

Pre-Nanjing 25, Martin pointed out, very correctly, some obfuscating factors in that recently circulated NCAA Indoor 2015-2025 report with extensions to athletes’ collegiate careers due to COVID. These factors fortunately do not impact the graphs we see in this Global Report.

This is the WORLD INDOOR 2015-2025 and I would recommend viewing the attachments on the largest screen that you have available.

NOTE: This report deals only with the traditional environmentally differentiated indoor track & field competition and not “Short Track”. World Athletics “Short Track” was introduced in November 2023 and refers to events and performances that take place on 200-metre tracks, regardless of whether they are held indoors or outdoors

This PDF file is 17 pages and 3.6Mb.

The post POST-Nanjing 2025 Global Indoor Performance Analysis 2015-2025 appeared first on SpeedEndurance .com.

As I’ve mentioned numerous times before, you can’t improve what you don’t measure.

Here are the 6 important metrics from my Apple Watch that you can monitor to ensure your training is at optimal performance (I’m sure Android watches have similar features):

Workout

Max HR

Forget the 220 – Age = MaxHR formula. If you use it, it’s probably +/- 10%, if not higher. This formula sort of works when you are 25 or 30 years old. But a better formula is:

MaxHR = 211 – (0.64 x Age)

At my age (61), that number is either 159 (old method) or 172 (new method), but I have had workouts where it reaches 180+. I even wore my watch (by accident) in a 400m race last summer:

Cardio Fitness (or METS)

They say VO2Max is the greatest KPI for longevity (notably, from Dr. Peter Attia). And that the Norwegian 4×4 workout is the best way to increase VO2Max. I’m a sprinter, so this number doesn’t mean much to me (Oh, Vienna), but it does tell me how much effort I am using for a “20 min long run” or my “10 min jog” before my workout.

The Norwegian 4×4 workout: is a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) method that involves four, 4-minute intervals of high-intensity exercise at 85-95% of your maximum Heart Rate, followed by three minutes of active recovery such as walking.

On your iPhone, you have to go to the specific workout, and click details to see your METS as well as other measurements.

Remember 1 MET = 3.5 mL/kg/min, or milliliters of oxygen consumed per kilogram of body weight per minute (mL/kg/min)

If my VO2Max is 35 mL/kg/min, and my 4 lap, 8 minute min easy jog is 10 METs, that’s that same thing!

HR Post Recovery

Some people measure heart rate 1 Minute after your workout (post-workout), but the watch shows a graphic of each minute (1-2-3) with a number displayed for 3 minutes.

For sprinters, this is key, as if you are doing repeat short runs (either blocks, or flys of 10m, for example), how much rest do you take? Ideally 5 minutes for a “full recovery”, but the watch says you can go after 3 minutes.

It takes approximately 3 minutes to replenish our body’s stores of ATP and PC, in order for the ATP/PC system to be the predominant system used in the next 7 seconds of exercise. Hence, another reason to go hard for the 1st 7 seconds of your 400m (i.e. first 50-60m meters, 40m for Masters). Use up this energy source, because you won’t get it back later in the race!

The 3-minutes-between-reps is also good for plyometrics, for example, Speed Bounds (10m run in, then 30m straight-leg or bent knees bounds). Speed Bounds are quite taxing on the CNS, joints, and tendons so be sure to be nearly recovered before each rep.

Starting Block Tip: If your right foot is the back block, then wear a watch on your left hand. Why? Because your hands should move a fraction before your feet, based on neurology. (we’re talking fractions faster!). So react to the gun, not listen to the gun, and explode with the left hand with the watch. Your feet will follow, trust me!

Rest & Sleep

Resting HR

This is a key metric to see how you are feeling the day of the workout. If it’s higher than normal, then perhaps you should back off a bit. My biggest problem the first hour upon waking is the aches & stiffness to my tendons & muscles. Most minor annoyances disappear after 1 hour. Then again, most minor annoyances disappear after my coffee :)

But I have noticed my resting HR is higher in very warm temperatures (i.e. Paris in summer with no air conditioning!). Again, something to monitor, but don’t obsess with it.

Sleep Hours & Deep Sleep

Wearing the watch won’t help you sleep more, or get better sleep, but it does keep you honest and aware that sleep is probably the best form of recovery. How many hours you sleep, as well as the quality of sleep (i.e. waking up, or restlessness, as seen in the orange segments) is shown on the chart.

In addition, it shows the amount of Deep Sleep (as seen in the dark blue segments)

I try to aim for 9 hours of sleep, and 60 min of deep sleep, but I rarely get this. Sleep is also where HGH & Testosterone is being released. Did I mention sleep is one of the best forms of recovery?

If you must sleep 4 hours because of an early flight, then I find the deep sleep is not affected, which is good! But I still feel like crap. One-offs are okay in life, just deal with it.

Before sleeping, be sure you set your watch on DND (do not disturb) or Focus mode (the icon of a moon sliver), and turn off display or Theater Mode (the icon with two face masks).

Lowest HR during sleep

This number should be a bit lower than your Resting HR. It’s also an indicator of how well you slept. Again, this can be affected by excessive heat, which is why they prescribe the best sleep happens in a cool, dark place. It’s all about temperature & exposure to blue light!

Honourable Mention

HRV

I won’t get into this topic, but I don’t think the watch can accurately measure this. Maybe later models have improved (I have the model 6). Let me know in the comments.

But I do believe there is a correlation between heart/nerve, breathing techniques, the Vagus nerve, and lowering HR to calm pre-race jitters. This topic(s) have been covered in a variety of articles, which I can update & consolidate if there is a demand for this information.

More on Rest & Recovery

Be sure to check out this presentation from 2022:

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FAdMoXbkas

The post 6 KPIs Your Apple Watch is Telling You appeared first on SpeedEndurance .com.

On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUw1WmLm0CI

Here is a quick summary of the interview with Usain Bolt:

• Early Career & Challenges: Bolt talks about his early career, marked by talent but lacking hard work, and how losses taught him the importance of dedication [09:00]. He also mentions his initial struggles at the Olympics [15:13] (he did compete in the 200m in Athens 2004) and the pivotal advice from his coach, Glenn Mills, about learning from failure [19:00].
• The Turning Point: He pinpoints the 2007 World Championship as a turning point, where he realized the necessity of consistent hard work [11:38]. This realization led to his success in the 2008 Beijing Olympics (the race we all remember!).
• Mindset & Competition: Bolt shares his mindset before races, focusing on clearing his mind rather than overthinking [42:17]. He emphasizes his competitive nature and his drive to compete against the best [35:56].
• Fame & Its Impact: Bolt reflects on his overnight global fame after the 2008 Olympics and the challenges of losing his peace and privacy [30:50].
• Dealing with Expectations: He discusses how he learned to manage the high expectations from Jamaican fans and the importance of doing things for himself first [34:03].
• Overcoming Adversity: Bolt touches on his scoliosis and how he managed it without letting it limit him [49:50].
• Defining High Performance: He defines high performance as working to reach the highest level, a concept that dominated his life [45:43].
• Advice & Reflections: Bolt offers advice to his younger self and others, emphasizing hard work, dedication, belief, and learning from failures [56:12]. He also shares his proudest moment: winning in front of his home crowd [01:07:07].
• Dream Team: Bolt picks his dream 4x100m team [01:02:31]. Surprisingly, he makes only ONE change to his 2016 OG line-up, and TWO changes from his 2012 OG and World record.

The post Spending an Hour with Usain Bolt (Oct 2024) appeared first on SpeedEndurance .com.