Success in Athletics and how to obtain it

122 SUCCESS IN ATHLETICS neously tucks the back leg high up to the right on a level with the hips, and then swings it smoothly through from the hip, so that he may have it evenly placed for the next stride forward. On landing, he then runs through to the next flight with · a regular number of strides and repeats the evolution. Care must be taken to keep the shoulders square with the tape throughout the whole of the race, as any move- 1 • j ment of the ~ shoulders to one side or the other will cause the athlete to land on the side of the foot and so throw him out of his stride ; this applies to high hurdling also. It will be seen that with races varying from 220 to 440 yards, with ten obstacles 2 feet to J feet in height to be negotiated, considerable stamina will be required to enable the athlete to stay the distance at anything like championship pace. In the 220 yards race, where the hurdles are placed twenty yards apart, seven or nine strides should be taken between each flight. In the 300 yards race, where the hurdles are placed twenty-five yards apart, nine or eleven strides should be taken between each flight. In th_e 440 yards race, where the hurdles are placed forty yards apart, thirteen or fifteen strides should be taken between each flight. With the general attributes of hurdlers of both classes we shall deal later, as also with the special training required. . For the low hurdle races the training proper should consist of plenty of track work at half a mile distance and over, in order to get the necessary power of endurance; sprinting practice~and plenty of it-from fifty yards up to half a mile in order to acquire speed; I ~ .