The Track and Field Performance Podcast

Dr. Ken Clark is a professor and coach at West Chester University where he balances teaching, sprint science research and in-person coaching with several collegiate teams including track and field. He is also widely known for his role as a biomechanics consultant for USA Track and Field's high performance sprints and hurdles program. 

Over the past 15 years, Ken has been at the forefront of several key published research papers relating to sprinting performance. This conversation starts by covering the current landscape around sprinting-related research before moving to how the evidence informs his coaching practice on a daily basis.

Timestamped Topics:

• 0:00 – Introduction & Ken's roles at West Chester University, USA Track and Field, and Ken Clark Speed
• 2:09 – The origin story: how Ken's father reading a Peter Weyand paper in 2000 eventually led to Ken doing his PhD under Weyand a decade later
• 9:09 – What we know about sprinting now: vertical ground reaction forces, ground contact times, and what separates elite sprinters from team sport athletes
• 13:10 – The force signature: why the first half of ground contact — not the second — is where elite sprinters differentiate themselves
• 16:14 – Thigh angular velocity and foot velocity at touchdown: extending the research chain from force to kinematics
• 22:36 – Evolving away from a binary technical model: why Ken's thinking on front side mechanics has shifted over the past decade
• 26:32 – Research comparing track athletes and team sport athletes: same speeds, very different movement strategies
• 33:13 – Why technique still matters even when it doesn't predict performance — injury resilience, race sustainability, and long-term development
• 40:07 – How Ken coaches differently across groups: fine-tuning USA Track and Field athletes vs. developing collegiate sprinters vs. team sport athletes
• 43:16 – What Ken actually looks for at top speed: practical KPIs for ground contact, swing thigh position, and pelvic control
• 46:17 – Wicket drills and technical buildups: how constraints-based training works across both track and team sport populations
• 50:14 – Biomechanical facts vs. coaching cues: why it's okay to cue things that aren't technically true if they produce the right intent
• 51:05 – Braking forces in acceleration: why they're inevitable past step three, and when they become a real problem
• 1:03:40 – Short-to-long periodization in practice: how Ken structures fall preseason and why max velocity work comes in early
• 1:07:00 – Capping distance to cap velocity: a simple but underused principle for load management and return to play
• 1:13:00 – Resisted acceleration and sled coaching: hip extension, swing leg recovery, and why Ken prefers a waist harness
• 1:16:56 – The vertical impulse problem: why the online obsession with horizontal force in acceleration ignores an essential piece of the puzzle
• 1:23:44 – Where sprint science is heading: the need for more training studies and the untapped potential of motorized resistance and assisted sprinting technology
• 1:27:41 – Where to find Ken: kenclarkspeed.com and @kenclarkspeed on Instagram

Ken's Website

Ken's Instagram

Recent Publications:

Clark, K. P., Meng, C. R., Walts, C. T., Ryan, L. J., & Stearne, D. J. (2025). Angular kinematics during top speed sprinting in male intercollegiate track and field and team sport athletes. Frontiers in sports and active living, 7, 1535798. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2025.1535798

Clark, K. P., Ryan, L. J., Meng, C. R., & Stearne, D. J. (2023). Horizontal Foot Speed During Submaximal and Maximal Running. Journal of human kinetics, 87, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.5114/jhk/159578

Alt, T., Komnik, I., Ryan, L. J., & Clark, K. P. (2024). Top speed sprinting: Thigh angular motion and eccentric hamstring strength in faster vs. slower sprinters. Human movement science, 98, 103280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2024.103280

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