Why are people discrediting the wavelight technology?

Judging your pace is part of the game.

i am not a fan of the lights, but pacemakers have been a part of running for a long time. is it fair for one runner to have the advantage of far better pacers than another runner?

I think this is something that hurts the credibility of records in the short term, but in the long term it will be better.

Regardless if it’s being done by the rabbits or the person shooting for the record, pacing is a skill that is factored into how fast a person can run.

Hypothetically, let’s say we have 2 people that are both capable of 12:30.00 in an absolutely perfect race. Everything about them is equal, except for their pacing ability. I would call the better pacer the better runner, and that person should run a faster time compared to the other guy who goes too fast/slow to start or measures out the kick wrong. So the person that paces better is deserving of the faster time. So in this scenario, we know who the better runner is, but that rendered negligible with the addition of a wave light rail, because then your ability to pace does not matter.

It’d be like making a robotic arm that somehow made shots 100% of the time in basketball. That’s only one skill that is considered in one’s overall ability as a player, but it punishes those who are great shooters and have practiced a ton by making all the bad shooters equal in that category.

If a runner and his/her pacing team make the effort to practice pacing for a record attempt, then they should be rewarded with a faster time for executing that skill properly in a race.

Human pacemakers usually can’t hold that pace leading for others all the way until the finish in world record time.

Bad analogy. Does every race with wavelight end with the desired outcome? So everytime time wavelight is used, I should expect to see the exact the time the wavelight is set for? No, that is ridiculous. You still have to physically run the time, no matter if there is a light on your left.

whatsupwitdat wrote:

Bad analogy. Does every race with wavelight end with the desired outcome? So everytime time wavelight is used, I should expect to see the exact the time the wavelight is set for? No, that is ridiculous. You still have to physically run the time, no matter if there is a light on your left.

Of course not, because there are lots of other factors that go into how well you do. The wave light just unnecessarily evens the playing field. Cheptegei and his pacing team went out with the goal of running 60.5 400m splits. They might all be terrible pacers, but that doesn’t matter because all they have to do is follow the light. If they didn’t have the light bit go out in 56 high or something that causes them to blow up and miss the record, then I’d argue that they should have practiced their pacing more.

I personally don't like it. Like another poster said, pacers have always been part of running but NONE of them can hold world record pace for the entire race. If they could, the pacer would be the WR holder. Maybe only allow the lights until the last human pacer drops out and then turn them off?

I've seen lots of people criticize female record holders like Paula Radcliffe because she used male pacers for her world record. They can maintain the pace start to finish. Eliud Kipchoge's pacers in Berlin did not maintain 2:01:39 pace until the finish; he did a lot of the work himself without a pacer in the late stages of the race. People also criticize Kipchoge's "sub-2" run because he used numerous pacers who were constantly fresh and stayed with him until the end.

He also had that light beam from the lead car to keep him on pace. How are the lights on the track any different?

How about when Cheptegei was behind the light at 2800m. Just follow the light, right bro? Why didn't he just stay on the light the whole time if it was so easy? He ran 12:51 solo on a road course with many turns in Monaco in February. 12:3x was always a possibility.

I think in world record attempts it makes sense. We’ve gotten past the time where distance records are being broken in Olympic and WC races. They usually happen in DL races where they organize the pacers to get out fast, or some kind of “exhibition” per se.

If the goal is literally to run faster than anyone ever has before, go ahead and take advantage of stuff like wavelight, pacers, drafting.

But in competitive meets where it’s non a record attempt or multiple runners might be able to win, it doesn’t really make sense.

Although it is a shame when someone is going for a record/PB and the pacers go out way too fast or slow. It’s always been pretty fickle and I’m hoping wavelight is used in a way that creates a happy medium instead of being used all the time.

Of course it’s not easy, but you’re crazy if you think that having a light on perfect pace for your goal time doesn’t provide a benefit. You’re also crazy if you think that pacing without a wave light isn’t a skill that can’t be practiced and improved upon, which is important in running as fast as possible.

I’m not saying that Cheptegei’s record wasn’t impressive as hell and that it shouldn’t be a world record, because wave lights are within the rules. I just don’t like the precedent being set this summer with the light being used. Takes away a human element of running that can be worked on and is needed to run your best.

How do we feel about a car driving in a marathon projecting out a pace line?

i would say i will not care about trampoline shoes or lights on the track while over half of professional runners are on performance enhancing drugs

The lights use perfect splits, right? That’s not necessarily the best way to run a 5k, correct?