A friend the other day was saying that the room where classes are held at his gym is too small for sprints. I have the same issue and there's an easy solution -- create more space.
The way to do that is by using angles and setting up markers. For instance, tonight I put a pylon against one wall probably five yards from one end of the room, another on the other side of the room a few more yards from the back wall and a third at the far end in a corner. Then I stood in the corner and sprinted to the first pylon, then ran across the room the second and then back across the room to the third, before making my way back.
So no, I wasn't able to run flat out but by running from side to side, basically, I was able to increase the space. I also was able to stop and start, which is something that happens in most sports and thus is good for you to know how to do.
Finally, a setup like this give you the ability to do multi-directional work. You can sprint ahead, shuffle to the side and back peddle, so that you move the way you do in real life. (We never simply move forward.)
