SimDay

Sled push

Push a loaded sled over a marked distance in lengths; loads change by division, so plan heats around them.

SimDay default
50 m (55 yd)
Loaded
Yes (total incl. sled) — set per division
Plates change between heats
Yes — plan heats around it
Space per lane
A lane of 10–15 m plus a metre at each end for turning; lanes at least 1.5 m wide.

The standard to brief

The athlete pushes the sled the full length until the whole sled crosses the line, turns it (or moves round it) and pushes back. Only the athlete moves the sled; the sled must cross each end line completely.

Common no-reps

  • Sled stopped short of the line at a turn — the athlete pushes it fully across before turning.
  • Pulling the sled back to reset its position mid-length instead of pushing it.
  • Leaving the lane with the sled — the lane judge stops the athlete and has them correct it.

Judging notes

  • Stand at the far end line; that is where short lengths happen.
  • Count lengths out loud as each one finishes. On a 12.5 m lane, a 50 m push is four lengths.
  • Check the plates before each heat against the heat sheet: SimDay prints the load per lane so a judge can confirm it at a glance.

Setting it up in a gym

  1. Decide whether your loads include the sled’s own weight and write it on the sled. Mixing the two is the commonest load error.
  2. Run all sleds on the same surface. Turf, rubber and wood give very different friction, so the same plate load is not the same effort on two surfaces.
  3. Group heats so the same sled load runs back to back; every re-plate between heats eats into your heat interval. SimDay’s planner does this by lane.

Equipment

  • One sled per lane
  • Plates to cover every division load
  • Tape or cones marking both end lines
  • Load cards per sled

Scaling for beginners

Offer a lighter division rather than a shorter push, so everyone covers the same course.

Formats that use it