Just wondering how you guys start. It'd be helpful if you could also give PRs and weight/height and stuff like that too. Thanks!
-Steel
How do you guys position your feet in the blocks?
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Participant
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Participant
i keep my toes on the bottom of the blocks/touching the track. my best is an 11.28 and i've run 11.3x around 3-4 times. im 5'7, 158 lbs going into my junior year….also ran a 23.65 200m and a bunch of 23.0-23.6 handtimes….
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Participant
If yourshoe is not touching the track, you can and will be disqualified if the official watching you start is semi-knowlegable.
More importantly is that your foot be in contact with the highest point on the blocks, ie heels set for dynamic pushoff.
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Participant
Good stuff Cobra.
Danimal- I've heard that as well. Some people say you can have your toes up the blocks, and others say you've got to touch the track. I don't get it, how come some people say its fine to have your toes up the blocks?
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Participant
I don't know, I just looked at the USATF's 2004 rules and it didn't even mention this. The closest thing it mentioned to my question was: "Where starting blocks are used, both of the runner's feet must come in contact with the starting blocks". I think that's a given though…that's why the blocks are there though huh
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Participant
My spikes slide down if i keep my feet up near the top, they actually drag the foot pad along with it… so i keep it down b the track. I guess wether or not you can keep your foot near the top is one of those things that will vary from meet to meet, state to state, region to region, and organization to organization. My pr's for events out of the blocks are 11.5 on the 100, 24.08 on the 200, and 54.1 on the 400. Im a freshman in high school, and im 5 foot 8.
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Participant
Nice stuff dude. Maybe your spikes are just a bit too big or something?
I dunno…I also looked at the NCAA rules, and nothing about a regulation on where the toes must be, except that the foot must be on the starting blocks as said before though
But If toes up on the blocks is illegal for a certain fact, I will have to change this.
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Participant
lol, yeah my spikes are too big. I wear size 13. I was in 6th grade when my feet finally stopped growing. I used to be so embarresed about my feet till my height caught up.
Size 13 and 5'8?? You're either gonna grow to 6' somethin, or you just got big feet haha
or…..your spikes are a few sizes too big…i dont know though heh.
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Participant
I can't find my NFHS rule book right now.
Why on earth would not want your feet in contact with the track? If your foot slips when from set you would be DQ'd for a false start.
The question should be do you change your blocks angle for the distance of the event? I do, and I try to make my athletes change it.
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Participant
does having the blocks closer together make you have a more explosive start??? i have my blocks set 35 and 40 i believe, wondering if it gives a little advantage
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Participant
Hmm. I don't know Danimal. I'm not saying you're wrong at all. It's just that, I looked at the USATF and NCAA rules, and they both dont mention any rules against toes up the blocks.
I like my toes up on the block, I think I'm faster like that. I remember when I tried it with them lower, and it just didn't feel as fast. Maybe I can't trust how it feels though, I really don't know.
I've never slipped before anyways, I doubt I would too, but I don't know.
Reply back,
-Steel
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Participant
It's not going to mention toes, it will only mention shoes.
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Participant
It's not going to mention toes, it will only mention shoes.
Yeah I searched the whole rules for everything dealing with blocks, starts, feet, toes, shoes, so thats about 5 searches, hell I even used different suffixes and quantity(start, starts, starting, block, blocks, etc) and nothing saying its illegal. I'll link you up to them, maybe you can find them for me:
USATF: https://www.usatf.org/about/rules/2004/2004USATFRules_Article3.pdf
NCAA: https://www.ncaa.org/library/rules/2003/track_field.pdfEDIT: IAAF: https://www.iaaf.org/newsfiles/23484.pdf
Basically, all I got from those 3 links was that the foot MUST be in contact with the starting blocks. It doesn't say you CAN'T start with toes up on the blocks.
But who knows…maybe you can still show me a set of rules that say I can't.
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Participant
Bah, I don't know. Maybe toes up isn't even the fastest stance for me. I'll give whole foot on blocks a shot tomorrow or next week or something.
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Participant
I do one shoe length from the line to the start of the blocks to place them. Then one shoe from there to the front block. Then I move that up one notch. The back one I go back a full shoe from the front one and then move one more notch up also.
I am 6' tall and weigh 160.
PBs are 10.89 for the 100 and 21.92 for the 200. My lead off leg of the 4×400 was 47.9, but that's probably not accurate. -
KeymasterDanimal-
At most levels there is no longer a rule stating that the shoes have to be in contact with the track. Having said that I still think they probably should be slightly in contact with the track with the toes slightly flexed.ELITETRACK Founder
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Participant
Thanks guys!
Wow, it seems like most of the guys that have voted do it with shoes slightly touching the track. I don't know if thats a surprise to me or not, but I'm surprised nobody else climbs the blocks.
Mike, when you say toes flexed, do you mean pointed up? Thanks Mike, I think you've helped me in all of the threads I've posted in 🙂
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Participant
Ok, I tried getting as much of my foot on the blocks as possible…let's just say that was a total bust. My speed suffered, I couldn't grip the blocks, and I came up too fast. Also, I ended up drifting into the lane left of me.
Then I "climbed" the blocks and was faster. I don't know how you guys can sprint with your feet so low!
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Participant
Increase the angle of your blocks. Basically by being up in the blocks you are probably projecting yourself downward into the track and therefore is probably one reason you don't come up fast and therefore may seem faster, however if you increase the angle of the blocks so it is probably 60 degrees with your toes slightly on the track as mike stated and your heels back against the blocks you should get an extremely powerful if not awkward start at first, but after some time practicing it you will find it is most beneficial.
I had a kid DQ'd early in my track season this year for feet up in the blocks and not on the track. Maybe it is only an Illinois thing, I am going to have to find my NFHS book and look at my State association's exceptions.
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Participant
Increase the angle of your blocks. Basically by being up in the blocks you are probably projecting yourself downward into the track and therefore is probably one reason you don't come up fast and therefore may seem faster, however if you increase the angle of the blocks so it is probably 60 degrees with your toes slightly on the track as mike stated and your heels back against the blocks you should get an extremely powerful if not awkward start at first, but after some time practicing it you will find it is most beneficial.
I had a kid DQ'd early in my track season this year for feet up in the blocks and not on the track. Maybe it is only an Illinois thing, I am going to have to find my NFHS book and look at my State association's exceptions.
You know, that is how it seems. I had my blocks on the lowest angle. Next time, I will raise the angle to about 60 or something and give it another shot. I'll do this for the next couple of sessions and mix up between toes up and touching track and see which ends up faster. Good idea?
When you find the book, see what the rules say for New York please. 🙂
Thanks for bearing through with me. I know I probably sound hard headed, but I am willing to change if it will benefit me, or if its a must.
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Participant
Remember the with blocks angled higher the starts will be awkward and you may stumble so don't wear your spikes the first couple of times, wear flats or regular running shoes if you have them, then transitition to barefoot, then go to spikes.
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Participant
Remember the with blocks angled higher the starts will be awkward and you may stumble so don't wear your spikes the first couple of times, wear flats or regular running shoes if you have them, then transitition to barefoot, then go to spikes.
Thanks for the advice dude. Should I do these at 100% ? Or should I just go somewhere like 80-90%?
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Participant
90% over 10-15m.
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Participant
Gotcha, thanks a lot for the advice man! Can't wait to work with this and see how it goes over the upcoming sessions.
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Keymaster
I recommend lower block angles and toes that are in contact with the ground and slightly flexed. This puts the gastroc-soleus complex on stretch for a more explosive start. In fact, several studies have indicated that low block angles actually result in faster acceleration times.
ELITETRACK Founder
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Participant
Danimal-
At most levels there is no longer a rule stating that the shoes have to be in contact with the track. Having said that I still think they probably should be slightly in contact with the track with the toes slightly flexed.Mike,
Can you give a rational for this statement. My undergraduate thesis was done on foot position and it's effects on force production during the sprint start. I found that having the toes flexed, or flat on the track with the toes curled, actualy produced less force than having the toes flat against the block. Let me know if you've read anything that supports/contradicts this. I'd be very interested to learn.
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Keymaster
I've never seen a study on the issue but I do know that any time a muscle is put on a slight stretch it should contract with more force than if it were not put on stretch (length-tension relationship). In this particular case, the stretch would put the musculature of the foot and ankle under stretch. I'm actually not suggesting that the toes be flat on the track, just that they should touch the track and be slightly flexed. The length tension relationship also states that if the muscle is stretched too far it will not be able to contract as forcefully……perhaps this is what you saw in your study.
ELITETRACK Founder
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Participant
i seen a study that proves that, i have the article here..
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Keymaster
What's the info for that article (title, author, etc.). Thanks-
ELITETRACK Founder
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Participant
title: low starting block angle is more effective
authors: nathalie guissard/jacques duchateau/karl hainut
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Keymaster
Oh ok. Thanks. I think I have that one. In fact there are 2-3 studies which indicate lower block angles are better. When I said I hadn't seen any research I was referring to the 'toes on the track' issue.
ELITETRACK Founder
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Participant
oh my bad..
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