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Physical Education

Running Drills

Overview

Students perform a series of running drills that isolate specific parts of sprint technique before combining them.

Learning Objective
Students improve running efficiency by practising isolated technique drills.

Resources needed

  • Open outdoor space
  • 20-metre marked lane

Lesson stages

0 / 7 done
  1. 1 High knees: march with knees lifting to hip height, arms driving.
  2. 2 Butt kicks: jog slowly, kick heels up to touch the back of the thighs.
  3. 3 A-skip: skip forward with exaggerated knee drive on each step.
  4. 4 Straight leg run: legs swing forward straight from the hip — stiff-legged.
  5. 5 Fast feet: very short, quick steps for 10 metres — then accelerate.
  6. 6 Run through combining all elements: tall posture, knees up, arms driving.
  7. 7 Time two final sprints — compare to pre-drill feeling.

Tap a step to mark it as done.

Variations

  • Mirror drill: copy a partner's drill sequence.
  • Add a resistance element: partner holds shoulders lightly while other drives forward.
  • Film one drill and watch it back if a phone is available.
More information

Teach: knee drive, arm drive, posture, heel, stride, accelerate. Each drill should be named, demonstrated, and named again during execution.

Reduce the number of drills to three. Focus on high knees, butt kicks, and fast feet as the most transferable.

Are students maintaining drill technique for the full 20 metres or degrading after the first 5? Is the arm drive matching the leg action?

Mark the 20-metre lane with two sticks. No equipment needed for any drill.

Students perform drills slowly with little effort, treating them as a rest. Drills should feel uncomfortable — they target specific weaknesses. Effort is required.

Running drills are standard preparation for every sprint and field sport training session worldwide. They improve technique through deliberate, isolated repetition.

Activity details
Primary Medium 20 minutes no prep Whole Class Outdoor
Topics
Running Technique Speed Drills