Figure Eight — Wide Cones: A Complete Guide
Quick Intro
Figure Eight — Wide Cones is a curved running drill performed by tracing the Figure Eight Cone Run’s loop with the two cones placed further apart than standard, allowing longer strides and a gentler curve around each one. It’s dosed by attempts through the full loop, and the wider spacing works as a deliberate introduction to the pattern before the cones get moved closer together.
Equipment Needed
Figure Eight — Wide Cones needs two Training Cones, set out further apart than the standard figure-eight layout.
Why Figure Eight — Wide Cones Matters
Tracing the wider loop calls on the glutes (gluteus maximus) and front of the thigh (quadriceps, rectus femoris) to sustain longer, more open strides through each half of the figure eight, while the outer hip (gluteus medius) makes a gentler adjustment around each cone than a tighter loop would demand. The back of the thigh (hamstrings, biceps femoris and semitendinosus) manages the easier deceleration into each curve. The calf (gastrocnemius) and deeper calf muscle (soleus) handle the ground contacts through the more open stride pattern, and the hip flexors (iliopsoas) drive the legs through the longer strides this spacing allows. The shin (tibialis anterior) stays responsive through both loops.
Speed is the main demand here, at the same level as in the standard figure eight, while agility is lower, since the wider spacing keeps the pattern close to open-field running rather than trading that pace for a tighter curve.
When to Do It
This version works well as a first introduction to the figure-eight pattern, since the wider spacing lets a beginner learn the continuous curve’s shape and rhythm without the tighter demand of the standard layout. It also fits as a speed-focused piece for anyone who already handles the standard version, given how directly it rewards sustaining pace through a continuous curve.
Anyone easing back into cutting work after a lower-body injury can generally start here more comfortably than with the standard spacing, since the joints absorb far less redirect force through a wider curve.
Getting Ready
A few minutes of easy jogging followed by a slow, open pass through one loop of the wider figure eight builds the longer-stride feel this version depends on. Walking the full loop once, focusing purely on the continuous curve’s shape, previews the pattern before pace is added.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. The setup. Stand near the center point between the two widely spaced cones, ready to sprint into the first loop.
2. The first loop. Sprint around the first cone in a wide, open curve, carrying speed through the turn.
3. The crossover. Transition through the center point into the second loop without breaking stride.
4. The finish. Round the far cone through the second loop, closing out one complete figure eight.
How Many, How Often
Figure Eight — Wide Cones is dosed by attempts through the full loop, with full rest between them.
| Level | Where you’re at | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | New to the figure-eight pattern entirely | 2 to 3 attempts at a controlled pace, focused on learning the continuous curve’s shape. |
| Intermediate | The shape feels automatic at a moderate pace | 3 to 4 attempts at a faster pace, sustaining more speed through each loop. |
| Advanced | Chasing maximal speed through the whole pattern | 4 to 5 attempts at full effort, resting fully between each. |
Sustaining speed through the continuous curve matters more here than a sharp, aggressive turn, since this version is built around staying close to open-field running rather than tight redirection.
Modifications and Variations
Figure Eight — Wide Cones has one progression: the standard, tighter layout.
For more difficulty, Figure Eight Cone Run moves the two cones closer together, demanding a tighter curve and more of the agility this version trades away for speed.
Progression path: this wide-spaced version teaches the continuous curve’s shape and rhythm first; the standard layout follows once that shape holds up reliably, tightening the loop into a stronger agility demand.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Cutting the wide curve short instead of running its full, open shape. Trying to shortcut the wider spacing back into something closer to the standard layout defeats the point of this version and can throw off the rhythm it’s meant to teach. Following the full, open arc keeps the pattern true to its shape.
Slowing down unnecessarily through the open curve. Treating a wide, gentle turn like it still needs a hard deceleration wastes the speed this spacing is specifically built to preserve. Carrying pace smoothly through the curve is what this version rewards.
Skipping straight to the standard layout without learning the shape here first. Moving to a tighter loop before the continuous curve’s rhythm is comfortable just makes the pattern harder to learn on top of the added agility demand. Confirming the shape here first makes the standard version considerably easier to pick up.
After Your Set
Sustained sprinting through a continuous open curve still loads the legs meaningfully, even without a sharp cut. A standing hamstring stretch, the working leg extended with the heel on the ground and a gentle hinge forward from the hips, releases the back of the thigh (hamstrings, biceps femoris and semitendinosus) that managed the deceleration into each curve. A standing calf stretch, back leg straight with the heel pressed to the floor, stretches the calf (gastrocnemius) and deeper calf muscle (soleus) that handled the ground contacts throughout.
Going Deeper
Widening the cone spacing doesn’t teach a different shape from the standard figure eight; it removes the tight-curve demand so the continuous loop’s rhythm can be learned on its own first. Someone who moves smoothly here but struggles once the cones tighten has found an agility gap, not a pattern-recognition one.
Once the wide loop feels completely automatic at full speed, there’s little more this version can teach in isolation, and tightening the spacing toward the standard layout becomes the natural next step. Coming back to this version later, as a pure speed-focused piece, is still worthwhile even after the standard layout is mastered.
How to Know You’re Improving
- The continuous curve holds a consistent shape through both loops
- Speed through the pattern stays close to open straight-line sprinting speed
- The center crossover happens smoothly without any break in stride
- A full attempt at maximal effort looks the same shape as a slow walkthrough, just faster
Speed sustained through a smooth, complete curve, not a sharp or rushed shape, is what marks progress here.
Muscles Worked
- Gluteus Maximus (the largest glute muscle, holding a higher running speed around a broad arc)
- Rectus Femoris (a front thigh muscle that crosses both the hip and knee, carrying a long stride through a shallow lean)
- Biceps Femoris (a muscle at the back of the thigh, working through a fuller stride on the gentler curve)
- Gastrocnemius (a calf muscle, pushing through a longer ground contact on the bend)
- Iliopsoas (the deep hip flexor, swinging the thigh through a wider range at speed)
- Semitendinosus (the inner hamstring, controlling the knee across a long sweeping turn)
- Soleus (a deeper calf muscle beneath the gastrocnemius, stabilizing the ankle at the higher speed wide cones allow)
- Tibialis Anterior (a muscle along the front of the shin, setting the foot for a reaching stride)
- Gluteus Medius (a smaller glute muscle at the side of the hip, holding a mild lean for a long stretch of each loop)
FAQ
Why is this recommended as an introduction before the standard Figure Eight Cone Run? The wider spacing exists to keep the running closer to open-field speed while the continuous curve’s shape gets learned, before the added agility demand of a tighter loop gets introduced (see Quick Intro above).
Is this less of an agility drill than the standard layout? Yes. A wider, gentler curve asks for less sharp redirection than a tight loop, in exchange for the speed this version preserves (see Why It Matters above).
Is this the same concept as Zigzag Sprint — Wide Angles? Both widen their spacing to preserve speed over sharp redirection, but this version traces one continuous curved loop around two cones, while Zigzag Sprint — Wide Angles weaves through a straight line of discrete markers, a different shape.
Should I move to the standard layout once this feels easy? Yes, once the curve’s shape and rhythm feel fully automatic at speed, tightening the cone spacing toward the standard layout is the natural next step (see Going Deeper above).
An easier variation of Figure Eight Cone Run, alongside Figure Eight — Tight Cones and Figure Eight — Backward.