The heaviest thing you will move all day, on a carpet that changes from city to city. Your split here is the least comparable number in the race. Pace by effort, never by a target time.
Splits vary more by venue than by athlete: Men Open medians ran from 2:30 in Hong Kong to 3:42 in the USA in 2022/23, and new carpet alone is worth about 27 seconds. The best published numbers are a Men Open median around 3:04 and Season 8 averages of 2:54 for men and 2:37 for women.
The classic first-timer trade. Fast for 20 m, fading by 40, jelly legs for the next three runs.
Fix: steady from the first step; the sled sets the pace.As you tire your torso stands up and the force goes down into the carpet instead of forward into the sled.
Fix: hips down, re-drop them every 10 m.A static restart costs more than any slow meter. A three-second pause with hands on beats a ten-second stand.
Fix: never let it stop; slow down instead.Race carpet over concrete can feel almost twice as heavy as a gym turf. A fresh gym push tells you almost nothing.
Fix: push heavier than race weight, and push after running.The first push from a standstill is the hardest part of the station. Falling into the sled uses your bodyweight to break it loose; standing tall and shoving uses only your arms.
This is the most disputed cue in the sport. Locked arms transfer force cleanly ("bend your elbows and you become a sponge"). Forearms-on-poles is what most elites use because it spreads the load. Some athletes switch positions by length to share the fatigue. What matters is that you chose before race day.
Long lunging strides lose traction on carpet and unload the sled for an instant each step. Short steps keep constant pressure on it, which is what keeps it moving.
The natural response to a heavy sled is to stand up and muscle it. That points your force at the floor. Re-dropping the hips on a count keeps the angle without thinking about it.
Bracing and holding spikes blood pressure and heart rate, and you have Run 3 next. Exhaling with each push keeps the station aerobic for as long as possible.
The sled must entirely pass the 12.5 m mark before you turn, and a short turn means a judge's warning and a re-push. Casual pushers lose more time at the turns than anywhere else, so rehearse them.
Racing doubles? Split by lengths. One partner takes a full 12.5 m length while the other rests at that end of the lane, then swap. Decide before Run 2 who takes lengths one and three. The resting partner stays on their feet.
Six lengths of 12.5 m (41 ft) at race weight (or your best guess at it), 60 seconds between. Odd lengths with locked arms, even lengths with forearms on the poles. Film from the side and look for the straight line from heels to shoulders. Pick the position you will race.
Five pushes of 20 m (22 yd) at 10 to 20% above your race load, 90 seconds rest. On turf, add a sandbag or plates to mimic carpet friction; some coaches add 40 kg (88 lb). The point is to make race weight feel light.
Four rounds: 400 m (437 yd) at race pace straight into 25 m (27 yd) of pushing at race weight, then 90 seconds easy. This is the session that tells you the truth about your sled.
1,000 m (0.62 mi) at Run 2 effort, the full 50 m (55 yd) at race weight with your planned turns and breaths, then 1,000 m (0.62 mi) at race pace. Note how long Run 3 took to feel normal. That is your exit plan.
Squats, deadlifts and Bulgarian split squats build the push. Doing it straight after running teaches it. Coaches argue about which matters more; do both and the argument is moot.
No sled? Switch a treadmill off and drive the belt with your hands on the rails. Prowler, car push or uphill sprints also work. There is no perfect substitute, so get on a real sled at least once before you race.
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