Hurdles strength for masters athletes

How to boost your flexibility, speed and strength as a masters hurdler with advice from Neuff ambassador Mensah Elliott

“Loads of people fear the hurdles because it’s the natural human response to obstacles and potential pain, isn’t it?” Mensah Elliott jokes. “People always tell me, ‘You must be either stupid or crazy to run and jump over an obstacle at full speed’. But it’s fun. I love it. Which is good, because I’ve been doing it for 30 years.”

And, over the last three decades, Mensah has achieved something that many of us can only dream about: competing on the international stage as both a senior and a masters athlete.

Now, as many of us battle to retain even a semblance of speed and strength – not to mention mobility – Elliott defies his M45 age by still being competitive over the full 3ft 6in senior height hurdles: in February, he was invited to compete at the UK Indoor Championships in Birmingham.

So, he’s the perfect candidate to teach masters athletes how best to maintain the physical attributes required for hurdling: speed, strength, and flexibility, which is what he’ll be doing in part one of this blog.

(Stay tuned for part two, which will focus on hurdles spacing and perfecting your start).

30 years of hurdling success, with a few breaks in the mix!

Growing up in The Gambia, Elliott sprinted everywhere: to school, to the shops, to see his friends. Everywhere he went, he ran. Fast.

As a student at Saint Augustine’s High School, he excelled in athletics, competing in sprints, javelin, and shot put. And, inspired by Linford Christie’s 1992 Olympic 100m victory, he set his sights on becoming a top athlete.

After moving to England in 1993, Elliott joined Blackheath Harriers and focused on the sprints, however it wasn’t until late in the 1996 season that the hurdles became a part of Elliott’s training programme, when he tried his hand at the decathlon.

By 1999, he was among the UK’s top hurdlers, ranking fourth nationally in 2000-2001. He went on to represent Great Britain and England in major competitions, including the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

But a serious back injury cut his senior career short. After taking a year off, the pain disappeared and he gave it another go – but it wasn’t the same. Another six-year break followed before he returned as a masters athlete, this time with a better understanding of his body and how to train for longevity.

Representing The Gambia, he won silver at the…