Welcome to Sedgemoor Target Sprint
Target Sprint is the new exhilarating sport which combines the adrenaline-fuelled frenzy of running with the calm control required for the challenge of target shooting. We have all seen the Winter Olympic event of Biathlon and marveled at how the athletes can regain their composure to shoot after the cross-country skiing… well, this is the slimmed-down and speeded-up version – without the snow!
Athletes run 400m, then shoot 5 knock-down targets at 10m as quickly as they can, using an air rifle; run another 400m, followed by another 5 targets – then a flat-out 400m sprint to the finish! Typically 10 athletes start together and the first to cross the line is the winner. The lead can change several times during an event, as the first into the range after the run is frequently not the first one out – which all adds to the excitement!
Races last around 5-6 minutes and athletes compete in categories according to age and gender – ensuring good competition and a thrilling spectacle for the spectators. Rifles are single-shot loaded (not magazine-fed) and are left on the firing points, which means that the athletes run unencumbered and also speeds up the transitions from one phase to the other. Unlike Biathlon, there are no penalties for missed shots – all the targets need to be cleared before continuing – so missing a shot requires an athlete to reload and the additional time required becomes self-penalising.
Good performances in the sport obviously require skills in both disciplines. We have taken experienced runners with no shooting experience and turned them into medal-winners on an international stage. Similarly, we have taken experienced shooters with the right level of physicality and taught them to run properly – again resulting in international medal-winners.
Events can be held in almost any setting, making competition venues highly flexible and accessible. The use of air rifles allows the use of simpler back-stops, allowing the shooting range to be constructed on the in-field of an athletics track, for example. However, an athletics track is not always required – the first World Championships was held on a town-centre street circuit, and the second on a section of a converted car-park!
Try it out! We can provide the equipment and teach you the techniques – you just bring the enthusiasm to try something new. We have a team of highly-experienced shooting coaches, with proven track-records of coaching athletes to Commonwealth and Olympic standards, with numerous medal winners. Our athletics coaches are also used to working to the highest levels, with numerous National champions to their names.