A good fun track workout for a special occasion (Christmas, someone’s birthday etc.); its basically 10x400m but with a twist.
Wrap a small (or large) prize in 10 layers of wrapping paper, between each layer of paper put a number of seconds. This number of seconds in the first layer that will be unwrapped (the last layer you will wrap when wrapping the parcel) needs to roughly reflect the difference between the fastest and slowest runner in your group over 400m. Then gradually reduce the number of seconds on the piece of paper between each layer until the last layer has 1 second on it.
On the track… Set everyone off for the first rep, the first runner back gets to open the first layer of the parcel and that becomes a handicap that they carry for the remainder of the set. Give everyone a couple of minutes recovery then set them off for the next lap but keep the winner of the first lap back for her or his ‘handicap’ time. At the end of the lap the first runner back gets to open the next layer of the parcel and receive their handicap.
You will need to keep a note of the handicaps. If a runner ‘wins’ more than one lap then their handicaps get added together! On the 10th lap the winner gets the prize – feel free to have a bonus handicap (special prize!) for anyone you suspect of sand-bagging.
Here’s a worked example.
Runner 1 wins lap 1 and opens the parcel; on the paper inside is ’30 seconds’.
All runners except runner 1 set off together, runner 1 sets off 30 seconds later.
Runner 1 still wins by a very small margin and opens the parcel; on the paper inside is 25 seconds.
All runners except runner 1 set off together, runner 1 sets off 55 seconds (handicaps get added together) later.
Runner 2 then wins lap 2 and on the paper inside is 20 seconds.
All runners except runners 1 and 2 set off together; Runner 2 sets off 20 seconds later, Runner 1 then sets off 55 seconds later.
Misery and Torture 