Starting Blocks for Athletics

Starting Blocks are one of those bits of equipment some athletes go for, and others don’t see the need.

I’ve always owned a pair of blocks, mainly because you never know what condition the stadium’s athletics blocks will be in.

I’ve turned up to competitions before, and the officials have handed over some shoddy, rusty well-used sprint blocks.

You know full well the slightest bit of pressure, and they’re going to be shooting out from underneath you.

Or they’re so old as you’re settling into the sprint blocks, you can see them moving around.

Here Are the Best Track Starting Blocks in 2023

Polanik Competition Track Starting Blocks

The POLANIK PBS-01-W comes with a very durable stainless steel centre panel and block pads. The length of these blocks are slightly shorter than most other blocks, but it will still give you more than enough length for any athlete, junior or senior, to comfortably find the starting position. This also helps with transportation from one meeting to the next.

The block pants come with a total of five height settings which is more than the average. And again, you have that slight curve to fit your foot while in the set position.

You can see from the picture above there is a small handle at the back of the blocks, Which will make it easy for any athlete to transfer from one event to the next.

These blocks are IAAF certified, and because of this, many stadiums will use these blocks as part of their facilities.

Vinex New Mark I Competition Starting Block

The Vinex New MarK I Competition starting blocks are another which are very popular within athletic stadiums. There is a good reason why they are prevalent. That’s because not only are they very well built, they can stand great pressure from even the most powerful sprinters.

They are comfortable to use as the curvature on the block pad is minimal. So it will accommodate most peoples foot size and spike type.

With five height settings, Any athlete will have no problems finding the optimum starting position.

All-round, a great pair of blocks, which are relatively light and easy to transport from track to track.

Pro Olympic Starting Blocks

The Pro Olympic Starting Blocks are one of the most all round starting blocks for athletics any individual could ask for. They aren’t only heavy meaning that you can quite easily carry these around from training to races with out any discomfort.

IPhones a pair of the starting box for many years and found the ergonomic design of the starting pads to be very comfortable, for all stages of the block start.

Although it doesn’t have range of adjustability like the POLANIK PBS-01-W blocks, its enough to find your ideal position.

Cheap Starting Blocks

Now I will cover some of the cheaper sprinting blocks you can purchase on the market today. Although they’re in the cheap sprint blocks section, by no means classifies them as being rubbish.

All the blocks here I have used myself over the years, and I wouldn’t be listing any entirely useless blocks.

The sort of person looking for a cheaper set of blocks is someone who is just starting in their athletics career, Or maybe a junior athlete that has now reached an age where they believe they can start taking advantage of using blocks in races.

POLANIK Training Starting Block

POLANIK is one of the best manufacturers when it comes to starting blocks. As I mentioned earlier, they have been making blocks for many years and have the backing of the IAAF.

Like most companies that make high-end products, they also cater to the market that doesn’t have the funds to spend lots of money.

The Training Blocks made by POLANIK  Are probably the best cheap Sprint blocks you can purchase today.

How To Use Starting Blocks

How To Set Up The Starting Blocks

Spikes

First things first, you will need are some decent shoes or sprints spikes. I’ve always found the Adidas spike plate to feel comfortable when settling into the blocks.

The Blocks

Now it’s time to place your blocks on the track facing the direction you wish to be moving. Now adjusting the Pad positions to whichever foot forward you wish to be starting with (We will be going into further detail of the measurements below).

Please make sure the blocks are securely in bedded into the track by pressing them in with your feet.

Which Foot Do You Put Forward

This is pretty easy. If you walk up to the line to do a standing start, you will naturally put 1 foot forwards in front of the other. This will be your front foot in the starting blocks as well.

Measurements

The measurement will ultimately vary from one person to the next until you find your most comfortable optimum starting position.

But if you’ve never used athletics blocks before, a good platform to start from is placing the front pad 2-foot lengths back from the starting line.

Then place the back foot pad 1-foot in length from the front pad. To make it a total of 3-foot lengths from the starting line.

Block Angles

I always tend to have the front and back starting pad at the lowest angle they can achieve. This is because I don’t like the feeling of being pushed forward like I’m going to topple over when I’m in the set position.

I like the feeling of being sat in the blocks so I could be comfortable enough to exert the maximum amount of power into the blocks when the gun goes.

Again, as I said previously, this is on an individual basis and may change from one individual to the next.

How To Explode Out Of The Blocks

There are many exercises and drills you could perform to enhance this part of your race. Weights are probably one of the most obvious options for this, by keeping the weights light and quick, this will have an immediate impact on you exploding out of the blocks.

Some other drills I like to use are merely throwing a medicine ball. It doesn’t need to be that heavy, around 3 to 5 kg, by holding the medicine ball with two hands at the same level as your hips. You can slowly rock forward to the point you can no longer hold your position, Then throw the medicine ball as far as you can.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are plenty of different starting blocks to choose from. Ultimately what you will end up getting is down to budget and personal preference. If you’re an adult, you will probably need to be looking at spending at least £150. I say this is due to the weight and build quality needed to support your power and weight. So with this in mind, you should be looking at getting something like the Polanik Athletics Starting Block or the Amber Athletic blocks.

If you’re looking for a younger athlete, the price range would be £50-£100. Anything at the cheaper end will be poorly built and most likely break after a short period.