Finishing a race
I can finish a sprinting race strong, maintaining speed until I cross the line.
Finishing a race
I can finish a sprinting race strong, maintaining speed until I cross the line.
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: to maintain good sprinting technique we must pump our arms, run on the balls of our feet and keep our head up.
- Move: ending the race involves dipping at the finish line by bending forward at the waist as we cross the line.
- Think: good sprinting technique means we can run more efficiently and at a greater speed with less effort.
- Feel: always trying our best to improve our sprint technique and to win races demonstrates excellent self-motivation.
- Connect: encouraging and supporting others can help them and us to improve our sprint technique.
Keywords
Sprint - when you run and use all of your energy to go as fast as you can for a short distance
Speed - a measure of how quickly we move from one point to another
Dip - the technique where runners extend their bodies forward to cross the finish line
Common misconception
Pupils dip at the wrong time, dipping too early, which has a negative impact on their running speed. Often pupils just dip their head forwards, rather than their upper body.
Give pupils opportunities to practise implementing the dip, aiming for around 3 steps before the finish line. Ensure pupils understand that a sprint race is measured when a runners upper body, shoulders cross the line, not their head.
To help you plan your year 5 physical education lesson on: Finishing a race, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 5 physical education lesson on: Finishing a race, 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: enhanced athletic challenges unit, dive into the full primary physical education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
30+ cones, 10 long poles
Content guidance
- Risk assessment required - physical activity
Supervision
Adult supervision required