Can you help me improve my sprinting for a 200m race?

I am doing a 200 metre sprint for my school's Sport Day in under 4 weeks time and there is just one boy (I hope!) who can beat me! I would love it if I beat him and won the race this year so I want to know some good exercises, stretches and tips on technique that would make me a better and faster sprinter. Many thanks.





P.S: I'm also doing 100 metres for a relay race so if there are exercises that are SPECIFICALLY for 100 metres, please let me know about them too!|||I think I can help you out run the track as fast as you can 5-times.Condition and eat healthy.also GET plenty OF SLEEP!|||do some hill running - up.





its hard work, but once you get on the flats you really notice the difference.





Alternative - ankle weights. and don't use brand new trainers on the day - a pair that are run in|||try this::





when runnig, concentrate. now take your heel and make sure that lands first, not you toe or flat footed. now, with your heel roll up to your toe. but thats not all! push off the ground in this. thats what it should feel like. you may need to go slower at first to getthe hang of it. and try not to wide stride too much while your insprinting. make them short strides, but also very fast. once you put all this together, youll be good.





and remember never give up. every athlete must pay the price. the question is, how much are you willing to spend?|||honestly, you shouldn't blow this whole race out of perspective, however, i see that you are very willing to work hard for this so.... I'm not really a sprinter, however, i would seriously consider doing telephone-pole fartlecks. that means that you sprint 2 telephone-poles(or more) and then jog 1 pole and just repeat that for about 30-45mins.|||Running a good 200 you must be able to carry your speed to the finish. To do this you must be able to relax while keeping your speed. Stand up tall, relax your shoulders, carry your elbows at 90 degrees, swing your arms straight front to back, and not across your body. Relax. Start off fast and after you are at top speed, in about 40 to 60 meters do not try to run faster. Carry the speed by keeping your arms moving front to back, you can keep up your stride length and turn over rate with your arms. Let your foot strike the ground coming backward at the same speed you are moving forward, do not over stride.|||there is noting you can really do in just under 4 weeks that will make a hugh difference but plenty of self belief and sprint work ,and on the week just get loads of sleep and drink loads water and u wil b fine|||The three components of the sprint are stride length, leg speed, and endurance.





Stride length: Practice butt kicks, high knees, skipping, and exaggerated strides





Leg turnover: Speed is gained by practicing foot exercises and just running. Be careful not to do too much full out sprinting because it can hurt you if you do too much. Leg strength will help with this as well. Try this: Take one big step forward with one foot, then bend your knees so you move closer to the ground, then slowly back up. Do 20-30 reps in between rests and train both legs. This will get your legs a little stronger and faster.





Endurance: Not really endurance like a distance runner, but you should try to keep up top speed for as long as possible. if you seem to falter near the end of the race, that's normal, but not good. Either your lungs are getting tired or your legs are. Try effective breathing to get as much oxygen as you can. Cellular respiration (the process by which cells make energy) requires oxygen and if you don't have enough, your cells will stop making energy. If your legs get tired the leg strength exercises will help. Don't spend too much time on endurance, but just stay fit and you should be fine.





Extra 200m-specific tips: When you feel the lungs or legs burning (usually 100-150m into the race), enact a kick. This is a technique which saves energy with little to no speed loss. Raise your knees higher with each step and that's all you have to do. Its effectiveness might not be too noticeable for you, but its worth a try. Also remember that the 200m is a full out sprint; don't try to save energy. Good luck with beating your rival! Have fun out there!