When is the idea "Get out fast" going to end.

In big races, you have no choice except to race an insanely inefficient way sometimes to stay in position to compete.

So why recommend it?

This just isn't true. Our team was 14th place after 1km at the State meet and ended up winning.

“Get out smart” is more appropriate.

I love how in XC people who finish around each other all have different styles of racing. For example look at Iowa State and OK State and how differently their guys move up during their races at NCAA’s. Some get out fast and grind. Some start slower and mow people down throughout the middle portion.

I'm glad that you and many other people believe that. It makes it much easier for the runners I coach to beat people who think like you do.

Pomona Pitzer, 2023 National Champions

1K, 28th (651 Points)

3k, 8th (244)

4k, 3rd (148)

5k to 8k, 1st (117... 98... 80 for the win).

Individual runners, from 1k to finish

221 to 10th

181 to 12th

241 to 14th

229 to 24th

65 to 30th

175 to 31st

284 to 56th

That is a MASTERCLASS.

American coaches love conventional wisdom stupidity of hanging back and relying on a late kick. That's why the Dave Wottle example is so laughably adored and oft cited.

This country will never reassert as running powerhouse until it's at the front. Imagine going into a global championship knowing your singlets will be in waves at the front on the final lap of every race. Yeah, some will falter. Some years will have disappointing bottom line. But keep applying decade after decade and you are no longer celebrating Grant Fisher type medals as if some type of hallelujah.

At the college level it's insane, especially over 10k how fast people get out. The initial (downhill) 1k at nationals last year was 2:29 and winning time was 28:40-ish (2:52 / k). I'd FAR rather go out in 2:38, stay near the back, and gradually make my way up. Yes, I might have to run a tiny bit more distance, but I'd rather run 8.08k in 23:00 than have a 4:00 mile paced-kilometer in my legs for 8k in 23:00.

Most runners just don't have the confidence to hang back. You actually have to practice it. In a 6 mile race, you need to be with the leaders by mile 4.5 or so.

We do this in our easy meets, so we don't panic when we need it in a competitive meet. Of course the fear is that you never get back in the race.

In an 800 or 1500 there is more likelihood of something going wrong, but I still prefer even or neg splits to going out hard.

Great post.

But lets be honest, it really really really depends on the course.

For the most part, if:

-the field chokes the course due to too many entrants versus lane width

-heavy rain and ground condition deterioration in the style of european cross

-significant elevation changes cause larger than flat course pace changes

Then:

Getting out hard and clinging to the pack appropriate to your ability is strategically helpful.

But for the most part, if its a wide open, cool, dry and sunny US golf course then reserved pacing relative to "out hard" idiots and a faster close with nothing preventing it is strategically smarter.

Insufferable as always.

I remember a coach speaking about energy usage during a race, and the bit that stood out to me about “getting out hard” was that the body uses the alactic energy system during the first 10 seconds of the race. It seemed to me that it was “free energy” that was going to be used whether you took advantage of it, or not.

IMO "getting out" is the most overrated, and wrong headed thinking of most xc coaches.

Sounds like a straw man. When I ran, runners had different motivations, and even if the coach told them to go out fast, some wouldn’t.

In larger races numbers wise and depending on the width of the trail you may need to got out faster than race pace for 400-800m to not get stuck behind slower runners. In general almost everyone in high school/college at times go out to fast. A normal race generally your find to go out on pace.

I was 43rd at the one mile split in a race I won by running dead even splits.

what's more shocking to me is this is still happening at the D1 level. I see sprint coaches telling their athletes to do this in the 400 - and sure enough they die off like roasted marshmallows.

The bigger the meet, the more likely they are to do this - because they think going out with faster competition will pull them through faster times.

It does not.

They end up slower than usual.

Most of these coaches also don't take splits in these races to see how much their athletes are slowing down. If they did (take splits) they would realize how stupid their race strategy is. But by not taking splits, they only see the visual

meaning since everyone else is doing the same stupid thing - it does look so noticeable.

Hey Morjohns, take some splits. Wake up.

I ask former 400 m world record holder Butch Reynold how he ran. He said even splits....just as I figured was best. So don't listen to me, listen to the former World Record Holder. You don not have to get out. You have to be steady and finish.

After a race, ever hear anyone say, “I went out too slow”?

Never,

but 50% of people say, “I went out too hard”.

It is possible to go out too slow, we had a guy on our team who would always go out 5:30 the first mile even though he was in shape to click off 5:00s if he was near the front pack. He said it was because he always needs the first mile to warm up, but I think he was just a headcase. We never knew if he was going to try or not, he could be anywhere from our 7th to 3rd man

Still, the consequence of going out too slow is usually much better than going out too fast because you can still win or place well with a huge negative split. In either case, it happens due to being unsure about your fitness, so you can just readjust for next time.