Setting wicket spacing by leg length

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

Spacing that’s too tight forces an athlete to shorten and shuffle; too wide and they over-reach and brake. Either way you’re rehearsing a pattern you don’t want — at exactly the intensity where patterns stick. The right spacing matches the step length the athlete can hold at the target velocity, and that depends on their body and their current speed, not a chart’s average athlete.

The two inputs that matter

1. Leg length — longer levers naturally cover more ground per step. Measure it once, properly, and record it on the athlete’s profile.
2. Current step velocity — from a recent video analysis, so the spacing is anchored to where the athlete actually is today, not an aspirational number.

Let the calculator do the maths

Give TrackStat’s wicket spacing calculator those two inputs and it recommends drill distances built around that runner:

• Start from their measured leg length.
• Factor in the velocity from their last clean analysis.
• Get a progression of distances to set out and run through.

Coaching the session

• Set the wickets out at the recommended spacing.
• Watch for a smooth, tall rhythm — no reaching, no stuttering.
• As their velocity improves, re-run the calculator — the spacing moves with the athlete.

It’s a small thing that makes a real difference: the athlete feels the right pattern instead of fighting the floor markings.