Is speed endurance important for the long jump?

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Speed endurance is important in the sense that the athlete needs to reach their maximum velocity at the take-off board and their velocity shouldn’t be slowing down.

In theory, the more steps the athlete can take, the more acceleration and velocity they will be able to build in their long jump attempt.

However, athletes bodies tend to fatigue and they can often start slowing down as they reach the board if their body doesn’t have the stamina.

Should long jumpers work on their speed endurance?

Yes. But they should focus on hitting their top speed in 30-40m.

How can long jumpers improve their speed endurance?

They need to run reps longer than 30-40m. This will usually be 80m, 100m, 120m, 150m, 200m, and 300m.

What are some things that the athlete should consider when doing this training?

Aim for a target heart rate. Most likely, they will be comfortable running these reps if their heart rate sits between 110-160bpm.

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The athlete needs to focus on keeping their running form. This means exploding off each stride and maintaining good knee-drive. The athlete needs to build strength in their core (abdominals) to prevent their form from breaking down.

Ideally, the athlete will be able to comfortably run at 60-80% of their maximum speed over the distance.

The body needs to be put under resistance by having a lower rest time. Aim for 60-90 seconds rest in between reps.

What should the athlete expect?

Their body should be more conditioned to accelerate over a longer distance, and to hold their speed over a longer distance.

This means the athlete can extend their run-up and get more speed, which will allow them to jump further.

Alternatively, they can keep their current run-up, but they should find that they have more speed at the take-off point.