I thought I’d offer you a glimpse into the competition experience of a Masters sprinter from Bromsgrove.
Yes that’s sprinting as in very fast running! I’m conscious that you often hear about the sport of running as if it can only mean training for marathons, or at least a 5k.
I was one of those longer distance runners for many years. I mainly enjoyed pushing myself to beat my best times for local road runs around Barnt Green, or doing longer trail runs over the Lickey / Waseley / Clent Hills while enjoying an audiobook or podcast. Sometimes I would enter local races, and as a sub-18 minute 5k runner I placed in the top 5 at events including the Arrow Valley Parkrun and the Waseley Wobbler.
In my mid thirties I was looking for a new challenge, and decided to try sprinting! I had been quite fast at school, but never done any serious training. I was interested to know how fast I could run 100m in particular. Also, I liked the idea of the technical challenges of sprinting, with the different phases of a race including block starts and acceleration.
Fast forward to now, in my mid-forties… I’ve been competing with Bromsgrove & Redditch Athletics Club for many years. Training sessions are on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the year. The senior group (16+) is taken by our highly experienced coach Bob Hingley, who has trained many successful athletes over the years including to an elite level.
The competition season is from April/May to early September, with the club competing in two main leagues. The first is for all ages (senior). The second is for over 35s (masters/vets) and has separate races by age group i.e. over 35, over 40, over 50 etc. The men’s and women’s team results are combined for a total score in each meet. This covers a range of sprints, longer distance races, field events and relays.
After taking up sprinting, I achieved respectable times within a year or two, getting into the low 12s for 100m and the mid 24s for 200m. More often than not, this was enough to win my over-35 races in the South Midlands Vets league, and even to do ok in the Senior league. I hoped to go sub 12 and sub 24, but then had a few seasons where I was a couple of tenths off my best.
Last year and this year, I’ve finally managed to get faster again, and I’m now running the 100m almost as fast as I was 10 years ago. Best time so far this season: 12.15 seconds….. Edit: in August I did even better in the 200m by getting a PB! My time of 24.35 seconds pushed me right up to 11th in the UK rankings for 45-49 year olds – my highest ever position!
The pictures below are from the first Vets League meet of the season, a few weeks back. The weather was cold and showery, and our warmups for both the 100m and the relay were interrupted by heavy downpours. Still, it was a good night for me, equalling my opening performance in the 100m from last season, and achieving my 3rd fastest ever 400m (though this is a distance I only do if I have to!)
Even better, we did well as a team, including in the relays. There are always men’s and women’s relays at the end of the night, over a variety of distances. They can be a fun end to the night, and on this occasion we were stoked to win the men’s 4 x 100m while beating a club record that had stood for over 30 years.
Sprint training is one of the best workouts you can do…. and it’s tough. It’s more intense than just about any other exercise, and can completely wipe you out! Yet it can also feel amazing, especially once you have decent technique. In particular, it’s great to be able to run in a relaxed way at speeds that were previously out of your reach.
As regards my personal training work: I don’t currently coach sprinting at the track. However, I am experienced in incorporating sprint drills into clients’ fitness training, and I’m happy to help condition you in advance for track sprinting if it’s something you’d like to try.
It’s important, especially for adults, to build up gradually towards sprinting on a track in spikes. Compared with normal running, sprinting puts more acute strain on muscles, tendons and joints, using far less cushioned shoes.
But don’t worry if you’d rather not risk this. You can still get great benefits from fast interval training and sprints over regular terrain, without having to go to a track.
Chris Gibbs Fitness 
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