The Inside Story
By Jana Coetzee, Grade 10
When the Athletics Challenge opens at 13:30, the first race on the track is a hurdles race. That means our hurdlers set the tone for the whole afternoon, and they know it.
For the last three weeks the U16 girls have been at the track at 06:15 every Tuesday and Thursday. The session starts with walk-overs and trail-leg drills, then three-step rhythm work over shortened spacing, and ends with block starts to the first hurdle. "The race is won in the first three hurdles," says our athletics captain. "If you get the rhythm right there, the rest takes care of itself."
The squad has also been practising the boring parts: reporting to the call room 20 minutes before the race, checking lanes on the start list and warming up again after a long wait. On a programme with 138 items, small delays add up, and the officials will not hold a heat for anyone.
Come early on the 15th and find a spot on the pavilion side. The hurdles are the first thing you will see, and you will hear our girls before the gun.
