Talk:Pacemaker (running)

who is
who is the rapidly tiring Ohio runner?


 * That's Tom Byers, I wanted to know more about him too, so I have put up a request on the requested articles page. There's an interresting article here, but theres not enough information to make a biographical article. Bfg 20:12, 7 March 2007 (UTC)

In General
Not being a runner,but an irish rabbitt called kevin, I have difficulty understanding all the concepts and vocabulary. It all seems very interesting, but I don't get it. I would like to humbly request that the author be more informative to the lay person.

I find some of this confusion humorous, which is to say, I'm laughing at my own ignorance. So please, forgive my light-hearted approach, and try to see how someone outside your circle would find this puzzleing.

How does the leader of the first section of a middle distance race ensure a fast time? Unless they were all standing still, somebody is going to be the leader. So how does the fact that some runners are faster than others ensure a fast time? Why wouldn't there be a fast time anyway, who enters a race to go slow? What is tactical racing, and why is it to be avoided? In the first paragraph, the first sentance defines the pacemaker as the leader, but the last sentance says it is otherwise.

The second paragraph talks about 'fastest over the whole distance' and 'fastest finisher' as if these aren't the same. What's the difference, and why wouldn't you want the winner to be the winner? Then you say a lapped competitor may not act as a pacemaker? How do they determine a pacemaker? If nobody is following his pace, then how can he be a pacemaker?

Moreover, I found the third paragraph on the incident at the 1981 Bislett games interesting, but confusing. It says "Steve Ovett choose not to follow the pacemaker" The previous paragraph speaks ill of the practice, and now Steve is not doing it, so what's the problem? And what is this Ohio business? Who is from Ohio. Rapidly tiring? Are you sure, he won!

(Please, edit the story, not the discussion.)

I don't get it. It seems like important parts of the story are missing.

--Wbfairer2 19:41, 20 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Seconded, I'd like to know more. Pimlottc 05:16, 8 October 2007 (UTC)

Is there something wrong with a fast time? A race is a race, right? The whole idea is to be not just fast, but the very fastest, right? Or are some runners offended by fast times? _________

I'm a bit confused about some of it as well, but I do know that long distance racing, unlike sprinting, involves strategizing regarding the positioning of your opponents. Sprinters go all out at 100% for their entire race, a strategy that would be ruinous for long distance runners. Long distance runners, for instance, may attempt to tire out their opponents as much as possible in the middle of the race yet they also must reserve enough energy to sprint ahead at the very end of the race. Now, if two runners are running a long distance race as a team, one can be serve as a pacemaker, running at a very quick pace in an attempt to trick competitors into overexerting themselves in order to keep up with him/her towards the front. The idea is that this fast pace is untenable over the entire long distance race. Once the pacemaker has set this overly-quick pace early on in the race, the idea is that those competitors trying to keep up with him/ her will be overtired and the team partner of the pacemaker can come from behind to pass all of the exhausted race leaders and to win the race. I would guess this is what is known as tactical racing and perhaps people prefer running to be a purely individual sport as opposed to requiring teamwork.

I would also guess that official race-sanctioned pacemakers with assigned paces (in order to facilitate world records etc) are controversial because part of the challenge long distance racing is actually maintaining the pace that your strategy calls for and being aware of how you are doing. Having someone run beside you with their legs hitting the ground at the exact pace that a world record holder, for instance, would need to hit the ground could be considered akin to having, for instance, a high tech device programming the timing of each step (the pacemakers can be more accurate because they have to maintain this pace only over a short period of time) Again, a question for running purists, perhaps, who prefer racing victories to be solely the product of one human running, a solitary pursuit. Just educated guesses here though, I'm no expert! So I'm not going to change the article! And I do agree that it is confusing. Jlm275 (talk) 04:10, 24 August 2008 (UTC)
 * That's precisely why rabbits aren't allowed at the world championships. 75.94.63.254 (talk) 06:22, 18 May 2011 (UTC)

I agree with the others above. I am more confused rather than illuminated by this article. It explains a lot of detail, but does not make it clear to a person not already in the know. Is the pacemaker a participant? Is the pacemaker purely hired to set the pace (and if so, one would think that they are better than the participants, so why aren't they a participant)?

I came here after watching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_riHHyAIvk, where the commentators talked about some confusion on whether Emma Coeburn was a pacemaker or not, and this article did little to answer that question. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.44.125.244 (talk) 06:02, 25 October 2020 (UTC)

Pace-setter
I prefer the term 'pacer' or pace-setter. Here is an interesting article if you are not too familiar with racing. The term also applies to championship cycling.http://pamakidscoach.wordpress.com/2010/08/05/pace-setters-for-track-races/. . . This article notes that the runner in the lead is consuming 7% more energy because he or she is the first and there is wind resistance. This needs to be noted prominently in the Article. Charles Edwin Shipp (talk) 12:59, 8 April 2011 (UTC)
 * Pacemaker sounds too much like a heart-implant. -- Charles Edwin Shipp (talk) 13:00, 8 April 2011 (UTC)

Suggested move
Suggest move to Pacemaker (sport). The practice is very common in horse racing.Tigerboy1966 (talk) 12:18, 20 September 2011 (UTC)
 * Or perhaps you could write an article about the practice as it applies to the sport of horse racing. Trackinfo (talk) 17:53, 20 September 2011 (UTC)

Reverted edit re drafting
someone (IP address not a logged-in user) deleted the content "Pacemakers may facilitate drafting" without explaining why. I've reverted the edit because the wiki-linked article on drafting demonstrates relevance. I would be glad to discuss this content with those who think it is irrelevant. G1729 (talk) 18:47, 28 September 2018 (UTC)