Race strategy

 

It is not enough to just be a fast runner, you also need to be a smart racer.  Below is some advice to keep in mind when you are competing in a race:

 

• Don’t sprint off the start line.  Start the race at your race pace (slightly faster than tempo pace, less than interval pace).  You should aim to finish the race faster than you start it.  Having said this, try and not get caught behind early.

• Mid-race, after all of your initial energy is gone you will begin to feel a bit tired.  This is when you need to consciously try and keep your pace constant and not slow down.

• You will need to be prepared to “surge” at various parts of the race.  This is when you increase to interval pace for a short period of time.  Times where a surge could be benefiical include:

  • The end of the race. 

  • The top and bottom of a hill.  Hills can be used to your advantage. Go up the hill nice and steady but as you get to the top of the hill pick  up your pace.  Glide down the hill and towards the bottom of the hill stretch out your stride and speed and hit the flat at the bottom of the hill with extra momentum.  You can see a video explaining this here.

  • Overtaking somebody.  Always pass people with authority!  If you are hurting on the inside don’t let it show.

  • Around a kilometer or two into the race to shake things up and try and get out towards the front early on.

  • Going around a corner.  Most people slow down around corners, so surging through a corner can often be an effective strategy.

• If you are overtaken then try and latch onto them and let them drag you along.  Wait for a second wind or some other opportunity to get back in front of them again.

• Be mentally prepared.  Think about how you would like to run your race.  Visualize how you are going to overtake runners, how you will race up and down hills, who you might run with and how you will finish the race.

• Run the tangents – the shortest path.  The key is to look up and be aware of what's ahead. On curving paths, run a straight line from inside corner to inside corner.

• Work as a team!  Mid-race look around and encourage those runners who might be struggling.  Work together to pass runners from other schools, “Time to pass another runner”, “I can pas one more runner” etc.  Often running in pairs or threes can be beneficial.  Run one behind the other and alternate who runs at the front (which is harder).  Keep on encouraging each other to keep up the pace and look for openings in the race.

• Have fun!  Feeling nervous is normal, but if you can tap into the competitive fun of racing, racing will be more enjoyable and you will run a better time too!

• Another video with general tips can be found here.