Track Athletics in Detail (extract)

THE HURDLES * 33 But the athlete must restrain this inclination and force himself to take a short step, even ifhe has to work over it for months, or he will never be able to acquire skill or speed as a hurdler. That first short step after clearing the hurdle gives the urn- ner his impetus, and the other two steps easily follow. The //' third step is shorter than the second in order that the runner -J may gather himself slightly for FIG. the spring over the next hurdle. ^ i • i i The ideal distance between steps in a high-Inn- die race is shown in Fig. i. The runner alights about 7 feet 6 inches from the obstacle, and then takes the short, quick step already mentioned (4 feet 10 inches);then he makes a long step (5 wet 10 inches), and then another short step (4 feet 4 inches), which brings him within 7 feet 6 111c 1 of his next hurdle, and he makes that spot hisake- off. A fatal fault of many beginners is to 1 bring the forward foot ^ 1 down in such a way as —^— to cut 0 ff the length K1G • 3 of the jump, as shown in Fi". 2. The first foot should be made to shoot Is far forward as possible along an imagi­ nary line, as shown in Fig. 3. As the last hur­ dle is cleared, the head should be thrust for­ ward as the athlete lands on the ground, and so