By Bill Falk
Bill.Falk@mfathletic.com

This is the seventh article of a new series in which I'll cover aspects of the pole vault event. I welcome your suggestions about pole vault topics you'd like to see included. Please email your ideas to me.

Nothing is more important in pole vaulting than a safe pole vault landing pit! Back in the day when bamboo and Swedish Steel poles were used, pole vault pits were either hard sand or cut-rubber landing surfaces and they were level with the ground. Jump too high and you risked injury.

When pole vault pits were raised above the ground and made of foam encased in vinyl, a whole new world of pole vaulting opened up. Now vaulters were able to use new fiberglass pole vault poles to jump previously unthinkable heights, because they had a safe landing area.

A safe pole vault landing pit consists of five sections. Three sections extend in back of the vault box and two extend in front of the box. In addition, a 2" foam top pad inside spike-resistant vinyl covers all sections front to back and side to side.

A pole vault pit with just one large section would eliminate any seams, but it would be too heavy and awkward to move and to store. Because the pit is made in sections, it can be moved and you can rotate the back sections to prevent excess wear to the middle one where vaulters land the most.

The pit sections are heavy and are strapped together, so they do not move apart very much. However, even the slightest movement of the sections away from each other can create a seam for the vaulter to catch his ankle in, or fall through to the ground. The vaulter can create a seam by landing between sections if there is no top pad.  

The 2" top pad makes the pit safe! It fills gaps between sections. The 2" foam is thick enough to catch the vaulter and prevent him from dropping between sections. This has been proven time and time again. No pole vault pit should be made without a 2" top pad!

Unfortunately, there are some pole vault pits being sold that do not have a 2" top pad. Instead, they have thin vinyl covering the pit. These pits are dangerous! The price of a pole vault pit without a 2" foam top pad is much cheaper than one with the proper top pad, but don't buy a pit without a top pad. It's not worth it. The risk is too great!

A coach should never allow his or her vaulters to participate if the pit being used doesn't have a 2" top pad. It's not safe!

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