Flying Sprint — 40m: A Complete Guide

Quick Intro

Flying Sprint — 40m is a long top-speed sprint performed the same way as the standard flying sprint, but with the fly zone extended to a full 40 meters, testing how long true top-speed mechanics can be maintained. It’s a harder step from Flying Sprint, and it’s dosed by distance covered within the fly zone.

Equipment Needed

Flying Sprint — 40m needs no equipment, just enough open, flat ground for a build-up run and a full 40-meter fly zone beyond it.

Why Flying Sprint — 40m Matters

Sustaining top speed across 40 meters asks the glutes (gluteus maximus) and back of the thigh (hamstrings, biceps femoris and semitendinosus) to keep producing maximal hip extension force well past where most athletes involuntarily start decelerating. The front of the thigh (quadriceps, rectus femoris) drives each knee through at top-end tempo, the hip flexor (iliopsoas) cycles the trailing leg back and the calf (gastrocnemius) with the deeper calf muscle beneath it (soleus) complete the push through the ankle on every stride across the extended zone. The shin (tibialis anterior) keeps the foot ready for a quick strike, and the outer hip (gluteus medius) stabilizes the stride as fatigue starts to challenge form late in the zone.

Speed is the main demand, as maximal as in the standard version, with more cardiovascular and muscular endurance needed to hold it for 40 meters.

When to Do It

This variant belongs early in a session, right after a thorough warm-up with several progressively faster strides, and it’s reserved for athletes already fully comfortable with the standard flying sprint’s shorter zone, since sustaining speed for this much longer rewards mechanics that are already reliable.

Anyone with a current hamstring or hip issue should avoid this variant entirely until it’s resolved, since sustaining maximal velocity across this much distance places a very high cumulative force demand on both.

Getting Ready

A general warm-up followed by progressively faster strides, along with a rep or two of the standard flying sprint’s shorter zone, confirms the legs are ready for the extended distance. A couple of submaximal attempts at reduced effort ease into the longer zone before committing to a true maximal rep.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. The build-up. Accelerate gradually over 25 to 30 meters before the extended fly zone begins, reaching full top speed by the time it starts.

2. The fly zone. Maintain that top speed through the entire 40-meter zone, staying relaxed even as the extended distance starts to test that relaxation.

3. The hold. Focus deliberately on the final third of the zone, where most people decelerate without noticing, sustaining velocity all the way through.

4. The run-out. Decelerate gradually beyond the zone, avoiding a hard stop after this much sustained effort.

How Many, How Often

Flying Sprint — 40m is dosed by distance covered within the fly zone, with full recovery between each rep.

Sustaining speed through the final third of the zone matters more here than a fast entry into it, since this longer distance is specifically built to expose exactly where top speed starts to fade.

Modifications and Variations

Flying Sprint — 40m has one easier step.

Flying Sprint, the standard version this variant extends from, keeps the fly zone considerably shorter, asking for less sustained top-end effort overall.

Extending the zone to a full 40 meters makes this the more demanding of the two.

Progression path: master Flying Sprint’s standard zone first, then extend to this full 40 meters once top speed feels completely sustained through the shorter distance.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Fading in the final third without noticing. Most people decelerate involuntarily somewhere past the 25 to 30 meter mark of the zone, a fade that often goes unnoticed without timing splits. Deliberately focusing on the last third of the zone is what catches this fade before it becomes a habit.

Building up too aggressively and arriving fatigued. An overly hard acceleration phase can leave the legs partially fatigued before the extended fly zone even starts, undermining the whole point of testing sustained speed. A controlled, efficient build-up preserves more capacity for the longer zone ahead.

Stopping abruptly after this much sustained effort. Coming to a hard stop right at the end of a 40-meter maximal effort asks fatigued hamstrings to decelerate a body still moving fast, a strain risk after this much cumulative work. Running out gradually beyond the zone lets the body slow down safely.

After Your Set

This variant loads the hamstrings and hips hard through an extended stretch of maximal-velocity strides, so a couple of minutes of easy walking is worth taking before stretching. A standing hamstring stretch, hinging forward from the hips with one heel propped ahead on a slight lift, eases the back of the thigh after the sustained, intense hip extension. A standing calf stretch, leaning into a wall with the back heel pressed down, releases the calf after the extended top-speed push.

Going Deeper

This variant pairs naturally with longer sprint-based conditioning work done on other days, since sustaining true top speed for this long taxes the cardiovascular system in a way the shorter zone doesn’t. It also serves as a clear test of speed endurance, since it isolates exactly how long maximal velocity can be held before it fades.

Progress here tends to stall in the same specific spot for most people, the final third of the zone, where cumulative fatigue finally overtakes the ability to hold form. Timing splits across the zone tends to reveal this fade point precisely, far more reliably than relying on how the effort feels in the moment.

Someone new to this variant generally needs a few sessions to sustain speed through the full 40 meters, and holds true top speed later and later into the zone over the following several weeks as speed endurance develops.

How to Know You’re Improving

1. Top speed feels sustained through the entire 40-meter zone
2. Splits across the zone stay consistent rather than fading in the final third
3. The face and hands stay visibly relaxed even deep into the extended effort
4. The run-out after the zone feels controlled despite the extended distance

Consistent velocity held all the way to the end of a 40-meter zone, not just a strong start, is what marks progress here.

Muscles Worked

• Gluteus Maximus (the largest glute muscle, sustaining maximal hip drive well past the usual zone)
• Rectus Femoris (a front thigh muscle that crosses both the hip and knee, holding stride mechanics together as the legs tire)
• Biceps Femoris (a muscle at the back of the thigh, taking a long exposure to its highest working speed)
• Gastrocnemius (a calf muscle, maintaining short contacts after the freshness has gone)
• Iliopsoas (the deep hip flexor, fighting to keep the knee coming through late in the run)
• Semitendinosus (the inner hamstring, under lengthening load over a much longer zone)
• Soleus (a deeper calf muscle beneath the gastrocnemius, resisting the ankle softening as fatigue sets in)
• Tibialis Anterior (a muscle along the front of the shin, holding the foot position through a long maximal stretch)
• Gluteus Medius (a smaller glute muscle at the side of the hip, preventing the hip drop that comes with tiring)

FAQ

Is this version harder than the standard Flying Sprint? Yes. This longer zone is the more demanding of the two (see Modifications and Variations above).

Why does cardiovascular endurance matter more here than on the standard version? Sustaining maximal effort across a full 40 meters taxes the cardiovascular system harder than a shorter zone does, even though both share the same top-end speed target (see Why It Matters above).

Where does most people’s speed fade in this longer zone? Past the 25 to 30 meter mark, where most athletes decelerate without noticing, which is why the final third deserves deliberate attention rather than assuming momentum will carry it (see Common Mistakes above).

Should a beginner attempt this 40-meter version? No. Flying Sprint’s standard zone should feel completely sustained first, since this version asks the same mechanics to hold up for considerably longer (see When to Do It above).