Sports Day Running Races

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Sprint Races

  • Make sure the distance is age and ability appropriate, and a distance to which children can keep a consistent sprint speed e.g., Key Stage 1, 15 - 30 metres Key Stage 2, 30 - 60m.
  • Use a whistle to start the race and prepare the children to expect the start noise.
  • Use adults or older children to hand out position tags when the runners cross the line. This helps you to record positions; someone holds a 1st place tag/note and watches for the pupil who wins and hands them the 1st place tag – do this for all runners and their positions.

Egg and Spoon Races

  • Use a traditional egg and spoon; hard-boiled is best!
  • Alternatives can be balancing a ball on a racquet or a softball on a spoon. Get creative to ensure all children can work at an appropriate level of challenge.
  • To add an extra dimension, you could include obstacles for children to encounter en route.
Sports day running races

Middle Distance Races

  • Middle distance running is traditionally thought of as 800 and 1500m in school. These are quite challenging distances for primary age children, especially without training.
  • Middle distance might look more like 400 – 1000m depending on the age and ability of your pupils. Middle distance should be long enough so children can’t sprint the whole way.
  • Choose distances that will challenge pupils to adopt a pace rather than run flat out as your ‘middle distance’ event – you know your pupils!

Relay Races

  • These races have a set number of legs, usually four, each leg run by a different member of the team. The runner finishing one leg passes the baton to the next runner.
  • You can have more or fewer stages to adapt to your groups and classes needs.
  • Include an exchange zone to make the race more challenging, runners must have passed the baton within this zone.
  • If you don’t have proper athletics batons, get creative! Rolled up and sellotaped newspaper works or an empty kitchen roll tube.

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