Can Versatile Sprint Training Help Build Speed and Long-Term Success?

What’s good people!

Welcome to today’s Speed Brief, where we dive into the essentials of athletic performance, helping you run faster, train smarter, and stay injury-free.

In today’s newsletter:

• On Your Marks: The rise of Letsile Tebogo and why he’s the sprinter to watch.

• Set: How versatility and a strong foundation can set you up for long-term success.

• Go: Two versatile sprint workouts to build speed, power, and endurance.

On Your Marks: The Rise of Tebogo

Noah Lyles may have stolen the spotlight with his 100m gold (and dramatic wheelchair exit after the 200m) at the Olympics, but there’s another name you should be paying close attention to—21-year-old Letsile Tebogo from Botswana.

I know, I know—he finished 6th in the 100m. You’re thinking, “This guy’s lost it; unsubscribing immediately.” But hear me out. Tebogo ran 9.86 seconds, making it the 16th fastest time in a 100m final ever. What’s wild? He’s younger than almost every man who’s clocked a faster time, with the only exception being the GOAT himself—Usain Bolt. I’m talking about the 100m Olympic final specifically (he’s joint 28th in history overall). That’s important because it doesn’t get any bigger than an Olympic final for a sprinter. It’s one thing to run fast when the pressure’s off, but what can you do when the hopes of a nation and 3 billion eyes are on you?

At just 21, Tebogo already boasts a 100m time of 9.86, Olympic gold in the 200m, a silver in the 4x400m, and World Championship medals in both the 100m and 200m. And don’t even get me started on his relay split—are we looking at the first man to take Olympic gold in the 100, 200, and 400m? You read it here first.

And for those who think Lyles lost the 200m because of COVID, remember his season best is 19.53. Tebogo won with 19.46. We’ll never know if a fully fit Lyles could’ve beaten him, but crowning him before the race was clearly premature.

Let’s not forget, another lanky sprinter burst onto the scene at 21 and went on to secure a treble gold in Beijing the following year. I’m not saying Tebogo is the next Usain Bolt, but the similarities are there. If you think the gap is too big, remember Bolt went from 19.75 in 2007 to 19.30 in 2008. My point? Watch this guy. I think Tebogo’s just getting started—and that’s bad news for the Americans and Jamaicans.

So what can we learn from this? Progress isn’t just about instant wins—it’s about building a foundation for long-term success, just like Tebogo is doing.

Here’s how you can apply that same mindset to your own training…

Set: Building a Versatile Sprint Foundation

Tebogo’s rise isn’t just about raw talent—it’s the result of versatility and a solid foundation built by competing across multiple distances. If you’re a young sprinter, experimenting with the 100m, 200m, and 400m isn’t just for variety; it’s key to becoming a complete athlete.

Here’s why this matters:

1. Develop Multiple Skills: The 100m builds power, the 200m pushes your speed endurance, and the 400m tests your stamina. Training all three gives you well-rounded athleticism.

2. Reduce Injury Risk: Focusing on a single distance too early can lead to burnout and injury. Mixing up distances spreads the load and keeps you adaptable.

3. Sharpen Your Race Strategy: Competing across distances gives you the race smarts to handle different paces and pressures.

4. Find Your Best Event: Don’t rush to specialize—use this time to figure out whether you’re more explosive in the 100m or built for the grind of the 200m and 400m.

By building a foundation now, you set yourself up for long-term wins. Like Tebogo, today’s development lays the groundwork for tomorrow’s dominance.

Go: Try These Versatile Sprint Workouts

To build that versatile sprint foundation like Tebogo, here are two training weeks you can try:

Week 1: Speed and Power

1. Session 1: 3 x 100m sprints (full recovery: 5-7 minutes). Focus on exploding out of the blocks.

2. Session 2: 2 x 200m sprints at 90% effort (rest: 6-8 minutes). Maintain speed in the final 50m.

Week 2: Speed Endurance

1. Session 1: 3 x 150m sprints (rest: 5 minutes). Push through the final 50m.

2. Session 2: 2 x 300m sprints at 85% effort (rest: 8-10 minutes). Finish strong while holding form.

Mixing these sessions builds power, speed endurance, and race-day confidence.

That’s it for today’s Speed Brief. Do you agree with my take on Tebogo, or is Lyles still the man to watch? Try out these sessions and hit reply to let me know how they go!

If you found this email helpful, please share it. I’ll be back with another edition of this newsletter next week.

Have a great weekend.

Liam

TSP

www.thespeedproject.com