Flying 10-Meter Sprint Test: Setup, Timing, and Protocol

A flying 10-meter test measures the athlete over a 10-meter zone after acceleration. Unlike a 10-meter start test, it removes most of the block or first-step component and focuses on upright maximum-velocity sprinting.

The distance is short, so setup differences can easily become larger than the performance change you are trying to measure. The goal is not merely to record a fast number. It is to create a test that means the same thing every time you run it.

1. Acceleration zone: begin with 20–30 meters as a practical range, then adjust for the athlete and keep it fixed across testing days.
2. Timed zone: measure exactly 10 meters from the first timing line to the second. Ten meters equals 10.94 yards, so do not substitute 10 yards.
3. Run-out: leave at least 20 meters after the finish so the athlete can decelerate gradually.
4. Gate position: place each phone or timing gate on a stable support, perpendicular to the lane, at the same height and offset each session.

1. Complete a normal sprint warm-up and progressive build-ups.
2. Use the same start point, lane, surface, footwear, and timing method.
3. Run three or four high-quality timed reps.
4. Take full recovery — four to six minutes is a practical starting point.
5. Stop if mechanics or times clearly deteriorate.
6. Record the best time and the median, plus wind and surface notes when relevant.

Treat this as a practical baseline, not a universal rule. A coach may change the build-up or recovery for age, training status, and the purpose of the session. Once selected, keep the testing version stable.

Select Flying Start, then place one paired phone at the entrance to the timed zone and one at the exit. The first crossing starts the interval and the second stops it. The phones connect directly, so the setup does not depend on internet service at the track.

• Use a tripod or rigid support; do not hand-hold either phone.
• Keep the athlete's full crossing path clear in each camera view.
• Use the same camera side and lane direction during comparison sessions.
• Run a practice crossing before the first measured rep.

See the full multi-phone setup guide for pairing and placement. TrackSpeed is designed for training feedback; official competition results still require the timing system specified by the governing body.

For a 10-meter segment, average speed is easy to calculate:

• Meters per second: 10 ÷ time in seconds
• Kilometers per hour: 36 ÷ time in seconds
• Miles per hour: 22.369 ÷ time in seconds

A 1.00-second flying 10 equals an average 10.0 m/s, 36.0 km/h, or about 22.4 mph across the zone. Report enough decimal places to preserve the measurement, but do not mistake extra decimals for certainty your setup does not provide.

Start with the athlete's own baseline. A "good" flying 10 time changes with age, sex, sport, training history, surface, wind, run-in length, and measurement method. A number copied from a different protocol may be worse than no benchmark at all.

Compare repeated sessions only when the conditions are close. Look at the best rep, the middle result, and the spread between reps. A faster best with wildly inconsistent attempts may tell a different training story than a small improvement across all three.

Pair the flying 10 with an acceleration split when you need to distinguish maximum velocity from the ability to reach it. The sprint drill guide explains how flying sprints fit alongside start and speed-endurance work.

• Changing the run-in distance between athletes or sessions without recording it.
• Starting to decelerate at the second gate instead of sprinting through the line.
• Moving the camera, changing its side, or using an unstable support.
• Running too many reps after performance has already dropped.
• Comparing hand times with automatic times as if they were the same system.
• Calling a training time an official race result.