Tactics, cornering technique and the right winter training: The elite of athletics show at the final in Brüssel how you can take your running performance to the next level.
The high-calibre Diamond League final in Brüssel offered not only gripping duels and top athletic performances, but also valuable lessons for anyone who regularly laces up their running shoes. Whether on the track or the road: The tactics and training of world-class athletes can be transferred surprisingly well to your own running training. A close look at the races shows what really matters if you want to improve your times.
How important the right technique is on the different sections of a running route was demonstrated by British sprinter Amy Hunt in the 200-metre race in Brüssel. According to reports from BBC Sport, she secured third place with a strong performance behind the winner Julien Alfred from St. Lucia. Hunt emphasised after the race that she had managed one of the best bends of her career. She was able to run the tight bend so precisely and with such momentum that she stayed very close to the front before exhaustion set in over the final metres.
For your own training, this means: Bends are often underestimated. Anyone who loses their rhythm in a bend or is carried too far outwards loses valuable seconds and energy. A conscious focus on body posture in bends – leaning in slightly and active arm work – helps you to carry the momentum through optimally.
Another key to success is the groundwork in the cold season. Amy Hunt explained to the BBC how she copes with her extremely dense competition schedule: Her winter training is based on runs over 400 metres with extremely short recovery phases of just 45 seconds between the intense repetitions. These hard, consecutive intervals give her the necessary speed endurance and stamina for the late phases of a race.
Even if you do not complete sprint distances, this principle shows how important short, controlled rests are in interval training. They force your body to recover faster under pre-exhaustion. This strengthens the cardiovascular system and ensures that you do not run out of breath on the final kilometres of your run.
That a race is decided not only in the legs but above all in the head was shown by the dramatic men's 1500-metre race. According to Athletics Weekly, the Australian Cam Myers secured victory in a gripping finish just ahead of the Kenyan Kipkosgei Koech. Myers kept his nerve in the tight field and cleverly chose his way to the front, while the Norwegian top star Jakob Ingebrigtsen had to settle for fourth place after a long injury break and subsequently expressed dissatisfaction with the tactical behaviour of his competitors.
For recreational athletes, this gripping race progression shows: Do not let yourself be made frantic by the dynamics of other runners. A cleverly paced race, where you concentrate on your own pace and your rhythm, will get you to the finish line more safely and often faster than an ill-considered intermediate sprint.
Your takeaway: Concentrate on short, controlled jogging breaks during your next interval training and consciously pay attention to a stable body posture in the bends.
This article was generated automatically with AI from the sources listed above and has not been editorially reviewed.