Athletics of To-Day 1929

The Event Sui Generis-440 Yards 65 should train a good deal with the sprinters. The preceding chapter, which deals with sprinting, will give him all the information and advice he needs for that part of his work and also as to finishing style. The quarter-miler's arm action is the same as that of English sprinters, but a good deal lower than that of American sprinters. Apart from the initial speed burst for pole position and the finishing sprint, the quarter-miler has not the same need for a rapid beat of the feet upon the ground. His foot should be placed down dir ctly under the body to ensure a long and elastic stride, the arms must swing easily and freely and the body incline slightly forwards. The object is to keep close to the ground and so the :'ery high pick-up knee action, referred to in the last chapter, Is never us d. It is a good custom to get into the habit of covering the first furlong of a quarter mile in 25 secs. ; anything much faster over the first half of the race, will leave you dwindling away at the finish. Concentrate on building up as much speed as you can for the final sprint, which follows the "float." . It has been said that 300 yards is considered the maximum distance a man can sprint in one continuous burst. The quarter-miler, therefore, must find a m ans of apportioning his speed. The half-miler type of quarter-miler does it by holding an even pace throughout, until h gath rs his energies for the b~st sprint horn he can manage. The sprinter type of quarter– filler u s a different m thod. He go s all out for 75 or roo yard in the hope of winning the in id berth at the b nd of the tra~k. As soon as he has got position, or covered his maximum sp~mt distance, her laxes, by dr pping his arms a littl , and so adJusts his action that h runs lower on the ball of the foot than he would in the sprint action, and his stride lengthens out. He also b gins t breath r gularly. On this action he floats t~rough until 140 yar s from the finish. Then he g ts up on h~s t s again, s t 1 gs and arms going to a liv lier tune, pitches his body f rward to the true fini hing angle ( ig. 3, A. E., page 52), and lets him lf go for the tape. J!