Coaching the Indoor Hurdles with with curtis and kebba

Session 1 of the hurdles workshop series

Join Oregon’s Curtis Taylor and Harvard’s Kebba Tolbert for a 90-minute live workshop that details training strategies, drills, and methods for improving hurdle starts, acceleration, and performance during the indoor season.

December 7 | 6:30-8 PM ET | Online with Recording to Follow

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Workshop lead coaches

CURTIS TAYLOR

Associate Head Coach

University of Oregon

Curtis Taylor was made associate head coach in March 2017 after helping lead the UO women to their seventh NCAA indoor title in an eight-year span. A three-time USTFCCCA National Assistant Coach of the Year, Taylor has coached Oregon athletes to eight individual NCAA titles, 26 individual Pac-12 titles and a handful of collegiate records. In nine seasons, Taylor has been part of 10 NCAA team championships.

  • Taylor is also an eight-time USTFCCCA West Region Assistant Coach of the Year with three indoor honors and five outdoor selections.

    During the 2016-17 season, the Women of Oregon made history as the first women’s Division I team to complete the Triple Crown in the same academic year.

    Under Taylor’s watch, Micah Williams and Kemba Nelson won the men’s and women’s 60 meters at the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships. Williams’ win was the first in program history while Nelson broke the collegiate record with her 7.05 performance in the final; that time now sits No. 2 all-time. With the wins, Oregon became the first school since LSU (2008) to sweep the NCAA titles at 60 meters.

    Later that season, Nelson became the fifth UO woman to run sub-11 with a legal wind in the 100 meters when she recorded a 10.98 performance at the NCAA West Preliminary. Four of the five women on that list—Nelson, Jasmine Todd, Jenna Prandini and Hannah Cunliffe—were coached by Taylor. Nelson added wind-aided times of 10.90 (+2.2) and 10.91 (+2.1) that season.

    Williams earned a spot on Team USA for the 2021 Olympics by way of his fifth-place and school-record performance of 9.91 in the finals at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at Hayward Field. He went to Tokyo as a member of the 4x100-meter relay pool, and was joined in that pool by fellow Duck Cravon Gillespie.

    In 2022, Williams lowered his own school records to 6.48 over 60 meters indoors and 9.86 in the 100 outdoors. He set an all-conditions best of 9.83 (+2.5) at the 2022 Mt. SAC Relays and broke the Pac-12 Championships meet record with a time of 9.93, eclipsing the previous mark of 9.97 shared by former UO standout Cravon Gillespie and Andre De Grasse (USC).

    Nelson, a three-time 2022 Pac-12 champion, was the NCAA runner-up at 100 meters this past season, and was also part of the Ducks’ 4x100-meter relay that finished third at the NCAA Championships.

    Overall, Taylor coached the Women of Oregon to seven NCAA outdoor qualifiers, and like Nelson the year before, saw a breakthrough during the indoor season from Jadyn Mays. The Arizona native finished third at the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships at 60 meters, complete with a 7.09 performance in the semifinals.

    Nelson went on to earn a silver medal at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 as the lead-off leg for Team Jamaica in the 4x100-meter relay. She ran a school-record 10.88 to finish second over 100 meters at the Jamaican Championships.

    For the second time under Taylor, the UO women won the 4x100-meter relay at the Pac-12 meet with their victory in 2021. The winning team of Nelson, Mays, Jasmin Reed and Danyel White became the fifth-fastest quartet in school history with a 42.86 in the semifinals at the NCAA Championships. The Ducks repeated as Pac-12 champions in the 4x100 at the 2022 conference meet held at Hayward Field.

KEBBA TOLBERT

Women’s Associate Head Coach

Harvard University

Kebba Tolbert has been instrumental in the success of Harvard’s track and field program. He has been named Northeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year multiple times in his career; he’s mentored a host of NCAA All-Americans; and he helped Gabby Thomas become the first Ivy League women's sprinter to win an indoor national championship in the 200m, setting a new collegiate record in the process.

  • Under his guidance, athletes like Kelisa Cain, Katina Martin, and Mayi Hughes achieved remarkable milestones, including moving up in the Harvard record books and earning Ivy League titles. Tolbert's group contributed significantly to the team's success, accumulating an impressive 79 points at the Indoor Heps championship.

    In the 2018-2019 campaign, Tolbert's coaching prowess led to historic achievements for the squad. He mentored Simi Fajemisin to Second Team All-America status in the Indoor Triple Jump, marking a milestone as the first All-American from Harvard in the event. Tolbert's guidance also played a crucial role in Harvard's dominance at the Outdoor Ivy League Heptagonal Championships, where the women's team secured first through fifth placements in the 100m Dash, a feat unprecedented in Ivy League history.

    Tolbert's coaching excellence was recognized in 2018 when he was named USTFCCCA Northeast Region Women's Assistant Coach of the Year. Under his leadership, sprinter Gabby Thomas made history as the first Ivy League women's sprinter to win an indoor national championship in the 200m, setting a new collegiate record in the process.

    Throughout his tenure, Tolbert's athletes have consistently achieved remarkable feats, setting school records, earning All-America honors, and dominating conference championships. His commitment to excellence and passion for the sport have made him a driving force behind Harvard's track and field success.

    Prior to his time at Harvard, Tolbert honed his coaching skills at various institutions, including Iowa Wesleyan, Mckendree, Syracuse, Portland State, and UTEP. His extensive coaching experience and track record of success make him a valuable asset to any aspiring track and field athlete seeking to reach their full potential.

    As an alum of Colby College with a bachelor's degree in philosophy and a Master of Arts degree in exercise science from Smith, Tolbert brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his coaching role. His dedication to the sport and commitment to athlete development make him an invaluable mentor and leader within the track and field community.

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What to Expect

LEARN PROVEN TECHNIQUES TO ELEVATE YOUR INDOOR HURDLE COACHING

Hurdle Acceleration & Starting

  • Start Patterning for 7 steps

  • Start Patterning for 8 steps

  • Assisted Starts

  • Resisted Starts

  • Starts with a “broken” hurdle

  • Aggressive starts

  • Start to Hurdle 1 and 2

  • Continued acceleration after hurdle 2

  • Take-off Position and Distance

  • Touchdown Position and Distance

  • Hurdle Checkmarks in Early Acceleration
     

Technical Aspects

  • Rotation and Balance as Important Aspects of Speed

  • Shoulder and Torso Positioning and Its Importance in Hurdling

  • Lead Leg Analysis

  • The Role of the Trail Leg Into the Hurdle

  • The Role of the Trail Leg Off the Hurdle –

  • Reacceleration Off the Hurdle

  • Takeoff location variability

Other Aspects

  • Coach Positioning for Visual Evaluation and Observation

  • Strength & Power Development for the Indoor Hurdle Race

  • What You Can Accomplish in the Weight Room

  • Race Evaluation - Making Adjustments from Meet to Meet

  • Training Design

  • Daily Training Samples and Drill Progressions

  • Weekly Training Samples and Progressions

  • Training Distances – Common Hurdle Spacings for Exercises

  • Using Technology to help Evaluate Speed and Technical Progress  

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Frequently asked questions

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  • The workshop will be recorded for all attendees, to be used for reference purposes. Any Ascent Track Workshop content, including but not limited to audio, video, slides, and any associated materials, is subject to copyright and intellectual property rights held by Ascent Track and its authorized licensors. Any unauthorized distribution, reproduction, or dissemination of workshop content, in violation of this prohibition, may result in legal action being taken against the authorized party.

  • We have no plans to do so— though we do plan to run this workshop again for those who cannot make the date.

  • No— but there are discounts available. Sign up for our mailing list for promotion codes and to keep up to date with all the latest Ascent Track offerings. Email info@ascenttrackclinics.com about program rates (3+ people).

  • The workshop is 90 minutes long and will conclude with a Q&A section at the end.