Developing Great Hurdlers

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

Hurdling is an event that requires coordination, controlled aggression and rhythm. Developing skilled hurdlers takes a balanced approach to training in order to help maximize these traits.

In this video, Coach Chris Parno breaks down his hurdle training philosophy, using both classroom and athlete demonstrations to help outline the key components of this exciting event.

Creating a Powerful and Aggressive Start

The start and progression to the first hurdle is the critical first piece of the puzzle required for successful hurdling. Coach Parno breaks down the components of effective starting, including the big to small and slow to fast concept of rhythm. He also shows you how to use taped landmarks to craft a proper step pattern for both male and female athletes. Included in this segment are both eight-step and slightly less common seven-step starting patterns. Parno also discusses the pros and cons of each stride pattern and ways to determine which is best for each athlete.

Mastering Shuffling Mechanics

Once hurdlers learn a three-step pattern, improving their rhythm between the hurdles becomes a critical component to their success. Since the step patterns are the same, the athlete with the fastest turnover will gain the advantage.

In this segment, Coach Parno expertly breaks down the shuffling pattern and provides several drills to help athletes perfect the quick rhythm required to get to the next hurdle faster and gain an edge on the competition.

Developmental Hurdle Drills

If implemented properly, drills can play an important role in hurdle skill development. They provide an opportunity to correct errors, teach technique, and enforce proper rhythm. Parno demonstrates over 35 drills in this video that can help hurdlers warm up, learn, or rehearse new skills as they progress through a practice. These drills include activities such as standing and walking hurdle mobility, one-step hurdling and wicket drills.

Throughout the video, Coach Parno shares tips and tricks to help hurdlers improve their rhythm. During the classroom segment, he shares helpful information on discounting hurdles and how it can be an effective tool to help athletes sharpen technique, improve shuffling, and maintain high quality from rep to rep. Additionally, by changing the spacing between hurdles to incorporate both three- and five-step patterns, athletes can add more speed into their runs, allowing them to navigate hurdle training at or above race pace.

Throughout this video, Parno breaks down the ins and outs of hurdle training and lays out a blueprint of strategies to help you create faster, more skilled hurdlers. The combination of PowerPoint presentations and on-track demonstrations are both easy to understand and replicate. This video is a great tool for helping novice coaches gain an understanding of key components and concepts of the hurdle events, while providing experienced coaches with tools and ideas they can use to help take their hurdle training programs to the next level!

89 minutes. 2020.