We All Know What the Hardest Race Ever is, But What's the Easiest?

We are ignoring the question. I'd say the easiest is 55 m or 60m. Even in the 100m there is some strategy, but the 55m or 60m is all in the start and pushing as hard as you can until the end. No strategy

I'm a pretty big wuss and the 800 is my favorite event.

5 miles is horrible. You're hurting the entire second half which lasts 2.5 freaking miles.

Easiest? I'd say 100/200. You see many of those guys running rounds for a total of 4+ races in a matter of hours.

The Waterboy wrote:

We are ignoring the question. I'd say the easiest is 55 m or 60m. Even in the 100m there is some strategy, but the 55m or 60m is all in the start and pushing as hard as you can until the end. No strategy

Absolutely wrong. How much do you have to break the start down to actually get a good start? Unless you are are/were a top notch sprinter you have NO clue. The further up the distance the LESS strategy. The shorter the distance the MORE technical it gets because of the closer proximity of finishes.

You cannot just out train someone and be a better runner in the short dashes. The finesse needed is unbelievable.

The short dashes, at 100%, are HARDER on the body than a longer distance like a mile or an 800. I have never heard of anyone "pushing" to a pulled muscle in a distance event.

Honestly, how can you call a longer distance harder on the body when you aren't even pushing to 100% of your max speed? You're locked in 75-80% the entire time.

Most of you letsrunners have NO idea

Give me a break. Most sprinters run more than, say, 2 races per year.

subfive wrote:

It seems reasonable to argue that the 100m or 50m are the "easiest" races! The least time that the runner has to struggle the easier the race is. I tend to think the 800m is very diffcult but conditioning and situation matter in any race. I've hurt in the 800 and 5k but it seemed more about the particular day and how I felt? They all can hurt... a lot past 100m. But the shorter the race the less the potential pain experience.

This is absolutely ironic and hypocritical. The least time the runner has to struggle the easier the race? If we are talking about percent given of a race when have you ever seen a distance runner struggle for anything more than the finishing stages of a race? At BEST, 1/4 of the race they struggle.

In a sprint, even the BEST runners look like their struggling for the ENTIRE race. Look at Tyson Gay, probably the epitome of "struggling". His facial expressions are contorted from the most intense effort. Bolt's 200m world records? Teeth gritted the entire race in an effort to push faster.

At the end of the day you can become a great distance runner from just hard practices alone. You can never do that and become a great sprinter.

wowzer wrote:

The hardest race is the hurdles when you don't know what you're doing.

body master, give it a rest. Everyone here has sprinted 100 meters. It's not taxing.

Exactly, even if it's horrific pain (which I suspect it isn't, although the 400m could be) then it doesn't last very long.

Still a problem today, just because it's not the 1960s it doens't mean racism isn't a major problem.

When the hurdles are set up on the wrong mark...

Couch to Fridge 15m, especially when there's a beer at the finish line.

marathon on a track

el segundo wrote:

marathon on a track

Nope - you can get lapped and still come back and win that one.

Bull. How often do you see sprinters doubling and tripling in events? All the time. How often do you see elite distance runners even doubling in say 800/1500 or 5k/10k? Rarely. Much harder on your body. The intensity is higher in sprinting but it's for a very brief period.

I "ran" in a diaper derby once when I was young and looking back I'd say it was the easiest race I ever ran.

Hardest race: those charity road races.

The hard thing about it are those lofty prices.

Excuse me if I sound selfish but I just want a run, but for 55 dollars I'd rather not.

I hear the 400IH is really hard.

haha, the most clever post

* wrote:

Being white is the easiest race.