Sprinting: stride pattern
I can increase my stride pattern to maintain my speed in the middle of the race.
Sprinting: stride pattern
I can increase my stride pattern to maintain my speed in the middle of the race.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.
These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Move: consistently sprinting fast requires our head up, pumping arms, elbows bent and running on the balls of our feet.
- Move: short strides at the start of the race then accelerating to increase stride length maintains speed in the race.
- Think: increasing stride length in the middle of the race maintains speed, efficiency and helps balance and control.
- Feel: striving to always sprint our fastest by consistently trying our best demonstrates determination.
- Connect: evaluating each other's performance and listening to feedback on our strengths and weaknesses shows respect.
Keywords
Accelerate - getting faster and faster as the race begins
Race - a competition where runners race to see who can run the fastest over a certain distance
Stride - the length of a single step you take when running or walking
Common misconception
Pupils transition aburptly from a lower body position leaning forwards to running upright, which causes them to slow down and lose their rhythm.
Encourage pupils to transition smoothly as they accelerate towards top speed as doing this too quickly can cause a loss of speed. Allow opportunities for pupils to practise this and address the misconception when observed.
To help you plan your year 4 physical education lesson on: Sprinting: stride pattern, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 4 physical education lesson on: Sprinting: stride pattern, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom.
Explore more key stage 2 physical education lessons from the Athletics: athletic challenges developed unit, dive into the full primary physical education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Beanbags, 1 hoop between 5, 1 tennis ball between 2, 30+ cones.
Content guidance
- Risk assessment required - physical activity
Supervision
Adult supervision required
