Runners (a Short Distance Runner a Long

¶ … Runners (a Short Distance Runner a Long Distance Runner

Running Styles

There are a host of differences that abound between long and short distance runners. Athletes who participate in either of these styles of running usually have innate characteristics that lead them to pursue either longer or shorter distances. These characteristics and the difference in styles they produce become more pronounced the longer an athlete trains and engages in one of these two types of running. The primary distinction between these two styles is attributed to the fact that shorter distance races require more explosiveness, upper body and general muscular strength, and higher levels of natural talent. Longer distances require greater quantities of stamina, more technical savvy and strategy related to pacing, and less need for natural talent.

There are several technical aspects of sprinting that revolve around proper form and starting position, all of which aid runners in getting off to a fast start. In many sprinting events -- particularly the shorter ones such as the 100 and 200 meter dash -- there is an emphasis on achieving the best start. Sprinters spend a significant amount of time focusing on their starting position and their ability to accelerate out of a stationary position as quickly as possible. The training for this type of work involves requires a visceral explosiveness that is refined through practice and is largely missing from those who compete in longer distances.

The technical aspects of the form required for successful long distance runners are associated more with comfort than explosiveness. Distance runners utilize a form that is based on comfort because the nature of these events requires a physical stamina and endurance that is largely missing from shorter distance events. Distance runners work on getting a particular stride that allows them to take up as much ground as possible and to continue doing so for several miles at a time. As such, these runners tend to stand more erect, or perhaps even slightly lean back, during competition, whereas sprinters have the proclivity for leaning forward -- particularly when they are initially out of their starting stance.

It is noteworthy to mention that sprinting requires a substantial amount of work on one's upper body and muscles -- certainly more than distance running do. Sprinters typically engage in weight training to exploit the power that having a stronger body gives them when they are competing. Because most sprints are so short, the slightest advantage can play an important part in shaving off milliseconds or deciding the outcome of an event. This emphasis on physical strength and weight training does not apply to distance runners, who instead utilize strategic approaches to pacing themselves when they run events. Since there is a lot more time and distance associated with these longer events, distance runners must know how and when to both conserve or exert their stamina at appropriate moments to give them the most advantage in their competitions.