Setting wicket spacing by leg length
Turn each athlete's leg length and current velocity into individualised drill distances.
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Wicket runs are one of the best tools for teaching sprint rhythm and stride pattern — but only if the spacing fits the athlete. Generic charts treat every sprinter the same. They aren’t. Here’s how to individualise it.
Why one-size-fits-all fails
Wicket spacing that’s too tight forces an athlete to shorten and shuffle; too wide and they over-reach and brake. Either way you’re training a pattern you don’t want. The right spacing should match the step length they can hold at the target velocity — and that depends on their body and their current speed.
The two inputs that matter
- Leg length — a taller athlete with longer levers will naturally cover more ground per step.
- Current step velocity — pulled from their recent video analysis, this anchors the spacing to where they actually are today, not an aspirational number.
Let the calculator do the maths
TrackStat’s wicket spacing calculator takes those two inputs straight from the athlete’s profile and recommends progressive distances for the drill — so each runner gets spacing built around them.
- Start from their measured leg length.
- Factor in recent velocity from their last clean analysis.
- Get a progression of distances to run through.
Coaching the session
- Set the wickets out to the recommended spacing.
- Watch for a smooth, tall rhythm — not reaching, not stuttering.
- Re-run the calculator as their velocity improves, and the spacing moves with them.
It’s a small thing that makes a real difference: athletes feel the right pattern instead of fighting the floor markings.