Teaching good lane positioning is very important in distance races, especially at the high school level. I see kids make foolish moves and unnecessarily put themselves in lane 2 or 3 for laps on end all the time. Many kids don't know any better, some do but don't seem to care. Either way, strategy is very important in distance racing, especially when you are trying to teach a kid who isn't the most talented in the field how to "race well".
Lane positioning is one thing... but a novice high school racer better be focusing on pace rather than race until about the last quarter of the race. Attempting to get a kid who doesn't even know his own redline yet to employ a bunch of strategy is just not a sound way to coach young guys. You end up with guys who end up dying every race or sandbagging every race.
Once a runner finds his red line... he can then find his peer group of racers that he will see throughout the year.
But bopping out to see where you are isn't that big a deal... and at high school speeds... drafting isn't really isn't critical unless you are into a significant headwind.
Better way of saying what I said. I agree that lane positioning and strategy are things but a lot of that comes with experience. If we are focused on lane positioning or running on the rail with new runners then that's probably the wrong focus. Pacing is a much bigger thing for most.
If this was a 200m indoor track, you are using effort/energy to stay in lane 1 after the turn as momentum carries towards lane 2. Drifting off the curve, isn't the worst idea, especially if you plan to pass others.
Twice per lap you moved from the inside of Lane 1 to the middle of Lane 2, and back.
That's an extra 3-6m per lap.
3-6m per lap by moving horizontally 1-2ft? Do you know how triangles work? Or do you really think the guy stopped and turned 90 degrees each and every time he made any horizontal movement? Is this a serious post?