Speedskating Cheat Sheet

The key takeaways for beginners – a low ready stance, a clean push-off and cornering technique for track, road and marathon.

Equipment

Item	Priority	Tip
Boot	High	A low carbon or fibreglass boot frees the ankle for the sideways push-off.
Wheels	High	100–110 mm standard, 125 mm only for certain marathon classes since 2016 – regulated.
Durometer	Medium	Hard (88–97A) indoors, soft (82–87A) outdoors – the wrong choice costs grip or speed.

Understanding speedskating

A pure speed discipline: Track (100 m indoor, 200 m outdoor), road or a 42.195 km marathon – unlike aggressive, slalom or fitness & urban.
Real speed skates are mandatory: Fitness skates with a high cuff noticeably hold your technique back.
Start via a club or course: A trial class shows you in one hour what video tutorials can't teach in weeks.

The 3 golden technique rules

Factor 1: A low crouch beats wind and heels

Concept: Straight legs slow you down twice over: from 30 km/h, air resistance eats about 80% of your power, at 40 km/h almost 95% – and your weight slides onto your heels. Tip: Hold a low, forward ready stance: bend knees and hips deeply, keep your back straight, weight centred over the skates.

Factor 2: Push sideways, not backward

Concept: The base stride pushes sideways away from the body, not backward like walking – the foundation for the later double push. Tip: Generate drive by extending hip, knee and ankle diagonally outward, then glide briefly on the standing leg.

Factor 3: Shift weight into the turn early

Concept: Shifting late is the most common cause of falls in a turn – the crossover replaces the sideways push there. Tip: Shift weight onto the inside leg before entering the turn, lean the lower body inward, keep your head steady.

Race formats

Format	What counts
Scratch race	Mass start, no intermediate scoring – first across the line wins.
Points race	Intermediate sprints score points, the final one counts double – highest score wins.
Elimination race	The last rider in each intermediate lap is out – highly tactical to the end.
Marathon	42.195 km like running – larger 125 mm wheels usually only cleared for certain classes.

Safety in the pack

Know the risk level: 1.65 injuries per 1,000 hours among young elite skaters – mostly muscular, not dramatic.
Protect your lower body deliberately: 79% of all injuries affect the lower body, mainly the thigh (25%) and foot (19%).
Practise controlled falling: Drill rolling out instead of bracing at low speed, before it matters for real.

Pro tip: Don't measure yourself against the 47 km/h world record over 1,000 m – measure yourself against last week's time. Speedskating progress comes in tenths of a second, not leaps.