Barrier running is considered a non-specific human activity. Initially, shepherds took part in such competitions, who tried to overcome sheep pens as quickly as possible. Later this sport became more famous, and then entered the program of the Olympic Games.
People's interest increased, they liked the technique of hurdling and the adrenaline gained during movement at high speed and jumping. Specialists who prepare athletes for competitions began to look for ways to improve performance. As a result, over the entire period of existence, the technique of overcoming the barrier has changed more than once.
Barrier running first appeared in the program of the Olympic Games in 1896, but only men took part in it, for women the distance became available only after 24 years. Until 1935, the barrier was T-shaped, and then changed to L-shaped. Today, the second option is used, since it is safer and it is much more convenient to overcome it. Such a barrier has a throwing effect, which is necessary in case the athlete did not manage to jump over it.
Competition Distances
In competitions, athletes must overcome such hurdles:
- 60 meters with barriers (held in playpens);
- 100 meters - for women, and 110 meters - for men;
- 400 meters with barriers (held in open stadiums).
When runs for 400 meters are held for men, the distance between the barriers is 35 meters, and the height of one barrier is 0.914 meters, for women the distance is the same and the height is 0.762 meters.
Barrier running with a small distance is carried out on straight tracks, and with a distance of 400 meters - on a circular track. Each athlete runs on his own path, without crossing its borders. Obstacles are located at the same distance so that the supports are directed towards the start line. The barrier can be demolished with a load of 4 kilograms.
Start and acceleration
In athletics, hurdling starts at a low stance. When the “Attention!” Command is issued, the athlete must raise the hip to shoulder level. The start of the runner always happens only after the signal “March!”. In the first 4-5 steps, the athlete must have time to level his body, and then run normally. The most effective is considered to be a jump for those athletes who have the center of mass parallel to the crossbar. The starting acceleration stage is completed after raising the fly leg, which attacks the obstacle.
First barrier
The essence of hurdling is not jumping over obstacles, but overcoming obstacles. The movements of the athlete are made not in the upper, but in the forward direction. Each barrier is taken in accordance with a single technique, divided into several sub-steps:
- Attack. To attack, the athlete lifts the fly leg, bending it at the knee, and then straightens the lower leg, directing the heel forward. In this case, the thigh is located in a parallel horizontal plane, and the body and head are kept strictly in line.
- Crossbar. In the transition through the crossbar, the athlete needs to lift the leg bent at the knee joint, which is the push, and unclench the ankle. The fly leg goes down, the fly hand - back.
- Gathering. In the last sub-step, the hurdler rolls his fly leg on the heel support from the toe, while remaining at a distance of 130 centimeters from the barrier. It is very important to keep the body level, without tilting it forward.
Not every novice athlete can go through the barrier training. Few people manage to correctly pass the first barrier, so people are simply disappointed in their abilities and abandon this business. For professionals, passing the barrier is not difficult.
Main distance
The length of the distance, as well as the number of obstacles are determined on the basis of three running steps carried out by the athlete between the barriers. The first of them is the shortest, the second is the longest, the third is preparation before the jump.
Thanks to the training method of hurdling, you can learn how to correctly calculate the steps when running and tilt the body. The entire race is made with the front tilt of the body. Here the rhythm is very important, which is forbidden to break even when hitting an obstacle. The rules state that it is forbidden to carry legs on the side of the crossbar or to deliberately touch the barrier.
Finish
The final stage begins when the athlete takes the last obstacle. There are several ways to finish:
- lateral finish (the athlete turns the torso a little, bringing forward the right shoulder);
- throwing by the chest (the hurdler tilts the body forward, taking his arms back when he reaches the last meters of the distance).
Rules and world records
The rules of hurdling competitions have some similarities with the track and field sprint. The only difference is the presence of barriers. The distance between them and their height differ by gender of athletes, as described at the beginning of the article.
The rules prohibit passing an obstacle in the following ways:
- to carry the leg outside the barrier;
- run around the side;
- pass under an obstacle.
The result is not affected by the number of barriers that have been broken - they only slow down the competitor.
For the entire time of the competition, the champions were:
- Aris Merritt (110 meters in 12.80 seconds).
- Yordanka Donkova (100 meters in 12.21 seconds).
- Kevin Young (400 meters in 46.78 seconds).
- Julia Pechenkina (400 meters in 52.34 seconds).
Barrier Training
The ability to quickly run and jump over barriers is not enough to take part in competitions in this sport. First you need to go through training in order to understand what is an obstacle course and how to achieve good results. Learning consists of four steps, each of which is important.
The technique of barrier running may not be completely clear to beginners if they have not yet mastered the elementary foundations of smooth running and could not master the low and high start. Runners begin full-fledged training only after mastering these skills, since without them the distance will not be completed correctly, and therefore, participation in the Olympic Games can be forgotten.
The basics
Athletes begin their familiarization with the technique of running with obstacles by demonstrating the technique of moving along a distance. It includes running from the start with the passage of three or four barriers, as well as finishing.
Experienced athletes recommend demonstrating the technique a couple more times, after which they run several times in three steps through several barriers no more than 50 centimeters high. In this case, the distance between obstacles should be about 7-8 meters.
When familiarizing yourself with the basics of hurdling, you need to pay attention to the bold run up to the obstacle, throw at it, as well as the relationship of the rhythm of jumping through barriers and inter-barrier running.
Training
Running with obstacles requires the athlete to have excellent flexibility in the front and back of the thigh, as well as mobility in the area of the hip joints. To achieve this, elementary exercises should be performed. They are intended to develop the flexibility and elasticity of the ligamentous apparatus, as well as muscles. These include:
- Swing your legs back and forth from a standing position at the support (wall, chair, and so on).
- Swing to the sides, without bending the leg at the knee joint, turning to face the support.
- Walking with lunges and springy swaying of the body, with an inclination forward and touching the elbows of the floor.
- Standing with your back to the wall, bend your leg at the knee and reach with your toe to the crossbar, bending in the lower back and bringing the pelvis forward.
- Sitting in the position of the barrier step, stretching the fly leg forward, bend the push leg in the foot and take it to the side clearly at right angles.
In the process of developing flexibility and elasticity of the ligamentous apparatus and muscles, novice athletes gradually begin to master the technique with which they will overcome obstacles in the future . In addition, thanks to these exercises, you can also master the rhythm of running between the barriers.
First, you need to master all the exercises that are aimed at the correct execution of repulsion from the surface and the entrance to the barrier. After that, leading exercises are used. Thanks to them, you can familiarize yourself and study well the technique of movement of the pushing leg. Next come the tricks that make it possible to master the combination of movements of both legs (swing and jerk), as well as the descent from the obstacle.
Rhythm
In order to train athletes in the rhythm and technique of movement between barriers on the track, there are from three to five obstacles, the height of which is about 50-60 centimeters, and the distance between them is about 7.5 meters. The task of the runners is to go the distance from the high start position by taking four steps to the first barrier, and between them there are clearly three running steps.
As athletes prepare, the distance between obstacles and their height increase. In addition, athletes must constantly increase the speed with which they go the distance in order to improve personal performance. A good motivation for this are world records in competitions.
Overclocking
Having mastered the technique of overcoming barriers and the rhythm of running, it’s time for the athlete to learn the technique of starting and, of course, starting acceleration. First you have to master the low start technique and learn how to gain speed as quickly as possible. Along with this, it is necessary to work out a rhythmic run to the very first barrier, correctly hitting the repulsion point through the obstacle with your foot, and increase your own speed after the barrier has been overcome.
Skills development
Barrier can understand the barrier running technique and improve his skills only when he has completed all stages of preparation and will repeatedly perform special exercises. For high-quality training of an athlete, barriers of various heights are used, the number of which is regularly increasing. The athlete must learn to overcome the entire distance without errors, while at the same time practicing the run from both low and high start.