Bio-Mechanics & Drills: Sprint Starts & Acceleration

with Chris Parno,
Minnesota State University Associate Head Men's & Women's Track & Field Coach / Recruiting Coordinator - Sprints & Hurdles;
2025 NSIC Outdoor Champions for Men's & Women's teams- 13th in a row for the Men's team and 4th in a row for the Women's team;
2025 USTFCCCA Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year;
2024 NSIC Outdoor Women's Assistant Coach of the Year;
2024 USTFCCCA National Indoor Women's Assistant Coach of the Year;
2021 NCAA Division II Women's Indoor Track & Field National Assistant Coach of the Year;
5x USTFCCCA Indoor Assistant Coach of the Year - Central Region;
5x USTFCCCA Outdoor Assistant Coach of the Year - Central Region;
USATF Mid-American Level 1 Regional Education Coordinator ;
2011 USATF Level 1 Certification;
2015 USATF Level 2 Sprint/Hurdle/Relays Certification;
2016 USATF Level 2 Jumps Certification;
2017 IAAF Level 5 Sprints Certification;
2011 USTFCCCA Technical Certification;
2013 USTFCCCA Sprint, Hurdle, and Relay Event Specialist;
2017 USTFCCCA Short Sprints Masters Endorsement;
2018 USTFCCCA Hurdles Masters Endorsement

Acceleration is one of the key bio-mechanical principles to sprinting. Coach Chris Parno, through a PowerPoint presentation and on-track instruction, presents the best methods to assist sprinters who want to achieve their individual maximal velocity through a proper acceleration pattern. Sharing a rich resource of sport science research and his own observational and accumulated expertise, Parno shows many forms of sprint starting as well as how to accurately set an athlete's blocks to achieve optimal acceleration, and ultimately, their best speed.

Starting and Acceleration for Sprinting

Coach Parno begins this excellent video course presentation with the bio-mechanics of starting and acceleration. He explains that it is vital that the coach have an understanding of bio-mechanical factors that will enable athletes to have the most efficient sprinting mechanics; this includes starting and acceleration mechanics. Also, Parno gives a detailed explanation of how he teaches the start and the drive phase for sprinting. You'll learn:

• Why these techniques provide the most efficient sprinting mechanics
• How and why Coach Parno teaches the start as a two-step process
• How to coach your athletes to drive effectively and transition to top speed mechanics

Correcting Common Technical Errors

Coach Parno continues by demonstrating several drills on the track with some of his athletes. You'll get a detailed explanation of what to look for during practice, and how to correct some of the most common sprinting errors. Additionally, Parno demonstrates some of the drills he uses with his athletes that reinforce proper mechanics, such as:

• Sled Pulls
• Med Ball Drills
• Wall Attack Drills
• Resisted Starts with Boards

These drills, along with many others, make up a comprehensive training inventory that will help ensure your sprinters get the most out of practice.

Coach Parno presents several concepts in this video that can be immediately implemented into your team's training sessions. You'll get a detailed and thorough presentation on starting and acceleration mechanics, which are vital to sprinting success!

78 minutes. 2020.