Winter Track Training for sprinters
Get Faster Before Track Season Starts
Winter sprint training for middle school and high school track athletes in Central Ohio.
Build power and acceleration, max velocity, sprint mechanics and speed endurance before spring track begins.
- 12 coached sessions + guidance between sessions
- Sundays, November 8 to February 14(see actual dates below)
- High School 1:30pm · Middle School 3:00pm
- Orange Middle School track, Lewis Center, Ohio
- $360, full winter program
Questions about your athlete? Talk to Coach Steve
Coaching Central Ohio athletes since
2011
Athletes coached
820+
Schools represented
56
Member club
USA Track and Field
Is this for my athlete?
This program is for:
- Middle school and high school sprinters: 100m, 200m, 400m and relays.
- First-year athletes through state qualifiers. You do not need to be an elite athlete to train here.
- Athletes who want to start spring track fast, not spend the first weeks getting into shape.
We have a high school group and a middle school group. Within each group, sprinters and distance runners warm up and do form drills together, then split into separate workouts at the same time.
We do not coach jumps, throws, field events or hurdle technique. We can make these athletes faster: we coach them on speed, acceleration and proper sprint mechanics.
Don't use the first month of track season to get into track shape
A school track season is short. Coaches have a few weeks to get a whole team ready to compete, so there is little time to build speed, fitness and mechanics from scratch.
Speed takes time to build. Acceleration, top-end speed and the mechanics behind them improve over months of focused work, not in the few weeks before the first meet.
Build it during the winter.
Athletes who train through the offseason arrive at the first day of practice ready to compete.
What your sprinter will work on
At RFP, workouts aren’t just about conditioning in a big box gym. Each session is held on a real track, planned, structured and tied into a larger training program so athletes improve week over week with a goal to be season-ready.
Acceleration
Getting up to speed in fewer, more powerful steps out of the start.
Maximum velocity
Raising top-end speed and holding good mechanics while running fast.
Sprint mechanics
Posture, arm action and foot contact that put more force into the track and waste less energy.
Starts
Standing and block starts, plus reaction drills, so the first steps of a race are not wasted.
Speed endurance
Holding speed through the end of the 200m and 400m instead of fading.
Strength and power
Plyometrics and power work, matched to each athlete’s age and experience.
Resisted sprint training
We use resistance cables up to 60m long to develop explosive power and acceleration. The controlled resistance as athletes sprint strengthens the muscles and movement patterns used for sprinting, helping athletes generate more force with each stride and accelerate more quickly.
Laser timing and starting blocks
Weather permitting, we use laser timers to measure sprint times and starting blocks for block start practice.
Race strategy
Knowing how to run each event, from getting out of the start to holding form through the finish.
Mental preparedness
Building confidence, breathing techniques and a pre-race routine, so athletes stay composed and ready to perform.
Hydration and fueling
Sports nutrition: what to eat and drink around training and meets, so athletes have the energy to train and recover well.
Personalized coaching attention
Smaller group sizes mean every athlete gets individual coaching and feedback, not just a workout.
Focus shifts across the winter as the training progresses. Results depend on the athlete, their consistency and their starting point.
Sprinters we’ve coached
Our coaches have worked with athletes at every level: complete beginners, state and national qualifiers, and collegiate athletes.
Ty Munroe
2X State and Nationals (4x400, 4x800, 800M). All American Team, indoor and outdoor track, Olentangy Braves. Now running at the University of Akron.
Emmie Smith
As a freshman in 2026: State Indoor Championships qualifier in the 60M, outdoor Regional qualifier in the 100M, 200M and 4x100M, and All-Ohio in girls basketball.
Meet your coach
Steve Carmichael
Founder & Head Coach
Coach Steve founded Run For Performance in 2011, and works with athletes of all levels and abilities. He has coached hundreds of athletes in person and hundreds more online. He coaches Track (mid/long distance and sprints) and Cross Country as well as athletes across all sports when it comes to building speed and endurance. He works with athletes on form/technique improvement, power/acceleration, durability and strength work, nutrition, race strategy, and return-to-running training programs built around the plans of an athlete’s physical therapist.
Certifications
- NASM-CPT Certified Personal Trainer
- USA Track and Field L1 certified coach
- RRCA certified coach
- Precision Nutrition certified nutrition coach (PN-1)
- USATF SafeSport certified
- CPR/AED/First Aid certified
Coaching career
- Founder of Run For Performance (2011 – present)
- Club Director / Head Coach – Run Fit Running Club (2011-2017, 2019-2020)
Career highlights
- Has coached hundreds of district, regional, state, and national All-American athletes in Track and Cross Country.
- Coached multi-sport state champions, including youth and middle school wrestlers (boys and girls), soccer, lacrosse, basketball, softball, baseball and football players, for agility, speed, quickness, strength and endurance.
- Coached collegiate-recruited athletes (University of Akron, Creighton University, University of Cincinnati).
- Coached hundreds of adult runners at distances up to 50K.
Our coaches provide performance coaching, not medical care. Coaching scope and medical disclaimer · About our coaches
How the program works
Two progressive phases
- Phase 1: Foundation & Speed Development, November through December.
- Phase 2: Preseason Track & Spring Sport Preparation, January through February. (More event specificity)
Phase 2 builds directly on the work from Phase 1.
Each session, 60 to 90 minutes
- A full, structured warmup with drills that reinforce proper running technique, balance, posture and running form.
- After the shared warmup and drills, sprinters split off for sprint-specific work: starts, acceleration, top-end speed and speed endurance.
- Cool-down, where we go over the week ahead.
Coaching between sessions
Athletes receive instruction on what to do during the week, in between sessions. This isn’t just a group class where you come to get a workout in. It is full, comprehensive offseason and preseason coaching, and it is one of the things that sets us apart. Real track. Real results.
Small groups
Group sizes are intentionally managed, so every athlete gets individual coaching and feedback within the group.
Training outdoors in the winter
Yes, we train on a real track
Your athlete competes on a track, not on a short strip of indoor turf. Training on a full track gives athletes room to run real sprint and race distances at the right speeds, which a small indoor space often cannot.
We train through normal Ohio winter conditions. Unsafe weather is a different story.
Dress for it
Running shoes, water, and weather-appropriate layers: hat and gloves when it is cold. Moisture-wicking layers work best; avoid cotton.
Severe weather cancels
We cancel for dangerous cold, low wind chill, or snow and ice on the track, and let you know as early as possible. Historically that is only one or two sessions a season.
Makeup days are already scheduled
A session we cancel for weather is made up on a reserved date: Sunday, December 27, 2026 (Phase 1); Sunday, February 21, 2027 and Sunday, February 28, 2027 (Phase 2). You are never charged for a session we cancel, and if weather ever costs more sessions than the makeup days cover, we refund the unused sessions.
Exact cancellation thresholds are in our weather policy.
Dates, times and price
Schedule
- Phase 1: November 8 to December 20, 2026
- No session Thanksgiving weekend (November 29).
- Phase 2: January 10 to February 14, 2027
- Session times, Sundays
- High School: 1:30pm
- Middle School: 3:00pm
- Location
- Orange Middle School track, Lewis Center, Ohio
Full Winter Coaching Program
$360 per athlete
12 coached sessions plus guidance for training between sessions.
Check current group availability on the enrollment page.
Session dates
Phase 1: Foundation & Speed Development
6 Sundays
- •Sunday, November 8, 2026
- •Sunday, November 15, 2026
- •Sunday, November 22, 2026
- •Sunday, December 6, 2026
- •Sunday, December 13, 2026
- •Sunday, December 20, 2026
No session Thanksgiving weekend (November 29).
Weather makeup day (if needed): Sunday, December 27, 2026
Phase 2: Preseason Track & Spring Sport Preparation
6 Sundays
- •Sunday, January 10, 2027
- •Sunday, January 17, 2027
- •Sunday, January 24, 2027
- •Sunday, January 31, 2027
- •Sunday, February 7, 2027
- •Sunday, February 14, 2027
Weather makeup days (if needed): Sunday, February 21, 2027 · Sunday, February 28, 2027
Not a track athlete?
Athletes from soccer, football, lacrosse and other sports can also use the Winter program for speed development. They train in the same groups, on the same days, at the same price. Speed training for other sports
Start spring track already fast.
12 coached sessions · Sundays, November through February · Lewis Center, Ohio · $360
Check Winter Track availability →Questions first? Talk to a coach