Track and Field Athletics

Introduction

Athletics is a group of running, jumping and throwing events and is one of Kenya's proudest sports. Athletes such as Eliud Kipchoge, David Rudisha and Faith Kipyegon came from rural schools and clubs. In the Kenyan Senior School CBC (KICD) Sports and Recreation curriculum, you learn techniques, rules, training and safety.

Categories of events

Track events

• Sprints: 100 m, 200 m, 400 m
• Middle distance: 800 m, 1500 m
• Long distance: 3000 m, 5000 m, 10000 m, marathon (42.195 km)
• Hurdles and steeplechase
• Relays: 4 x 100 m, 4 x 400 m

Field events

• Jumps: long jump, triple jump, high jump, pole vault
• Throws: shot put, discus, javelin, hammer

Sprint technique

1. Start: "On your marks" - feet in blocks or crouch behind the line; "Set" - hips raised above shoulders; at the gun, drive forward.
2. Acceleration: low body angle, powerful arm drive for the first 30 m.
3. Maximum speed: upright, high knees, relaxed shoulders.
4. Finish: lean the chest forward at the tape and run through the line.

Distance running technique

• Keep an upright posture and relaxed shoulders.
• Land mid-foot with a steady rhythm.
• Pace yourself, running neither too fast at the start nor too slow.
• Breathe through nose and mouth rhythmically.
• Train on Kenyan highland terrain for stamina.

Relay running

The baton is passed within a take-over zone of 20 m. The incoming runner calls the exchange, and the receiver stretches a hand back. Practise to avoid drops and disqualification.

Long jump phases

Approach run, take-off, flight (hang or hitch-kick) and landing in the sand pit.

Training and safety

• Warm-up: jogging, stretching and drills.
• Cool-down: slow jog and static stretches.
• Wear spikes or suitable shoes; check that the track is safe.
• Throwers must wait for clearance; no one crosses the throwing sector.
• Hydrate and eat a balanced diet.

Officiating

Starters, timekeepers, judges, recorders and referees ensure fair play. A false start results in warning or disqualification.

Worked example 1

An athlete runs 400 m in 50 seconds. Find the average speed. Answer: Speed = distance / time = 400 / 50 = 8 m/s.

Worked example 2

Calculate the number of 400 m laps in a 10,000 m race. Answer: 10,000 / 400 = 25 laps.

Try it

• Practise the sprint start with a partner calling commands.
• Time a 100 m run and compute your speed in m/s.
• Practise a relay baton change in a 20 m zone.
• Write a warm-up routine for a distance runner.