https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1113/jphysiol.1971.sp009381Coyote Montane wrote:
Brittle Master 1958 wrote:
My source is a comment by Ghost of Igloi the other day; I don't know where he got it. I'd be curious to know more about that, too. Some people do like to run from the front and seem to have some success with that approach. I get the part about wind resistance, but still, 7%?
Here's a source, it's runners world but a piece written by Alex Hutchinson, who is credible, and it has links to the original sources (older research papers).
https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a20823445/does-drafting-help-in-running/And note that a 7% reduction in resistance doesn't mean 7% reduction in speed. More like energy saving for the final stretch. And maybe 1-2% benefit in total time, depending on wind speed.