Best Strategy to pull off a 1500m upset

Sounds like you can't beat him.

Does that upset you? Just go out and run harder. 3 seconds is nothing

Have a teammate rabbit the race going out too fast. Meanwhile you hang back at your normal pace. See if he bites and tries to follow the leader. If he does you might be able to catch him late in the race. If he doesn't you probably aren't going to beat him.

Make it a pure guts race. Take it out hard and keep surging and pushing it to the point of complete exhaustion, if you do not pass out when you finish, that is when you know you failed.

1500 probably wrote:

I am racing one of my rivals at an upcoming conference meet in the 1500m. He has beaten me nearly every time we have raced this distance. His overall stamina and 1500m ability is better than mine (about 3 seconds better PR), but he really outclasses me in a kick. He will be doubling back from a prior event which shouldn't tire him out too much, but I will be fresh. What strategy would you use to maximize the probability of an upset win.

Sack up and don't give him the opportunity to kick. Did Centro give doped up Kiprop an opportunity to out kick him in Rio?

If you have better 400 speed you can beat him off of a slow pace, but if not, you're unlikely to beat him unless he has a bad race and/or you have a breakthrough.

He has more stamina and a better kick than you. Tough to beat that.

You need a slow pace where you get in better position in front of him near the end and he gets tangled up in traffic.

Or sit right behind him and make only one move with 100m to go.

If he moves to the front early enough, he may not have the best kick.

seems like you need to get off your arse and get fit.

In your case your best chance is to get someone to beat him up in the parking lot as he arrives at the track. Clearly you don't have the balls to do it yourself.

crumpet wrote:

seems like you need to get off your arse and get fit.

In your case your best chance is to get someone to beat him up in the parking lot as he arrives at the track. Clearly you don't have the balls to do it yourself.

let me know if you need help

Make the first move. If he has a better kick you can't sit around and try to move on him the last 200. Get to the front of the race on the third lap and cover every move.

shut the f*ck up pepe

1500 probably wrote:

I am racing one of my rivals at an upcoming conference meet in the 1500m. He has beaten me nearly every time we have raced this distance. His overall stamina and 1500m ability is better than mine (about 3 seconds better PR), but he really outclasses me in a kick. He will be doubling back from a prior event which shouldn't tire him out too much, but I will be fresh. What strategy would you use to maximize the probability of an upset win.

Go out hard and fast. He'll never expect this. The key is to go out the first 400 no slower than 56 seconds, this will prove your dominance to the field and show your rival that you arent to be trifled with. He will slow down to conserve his stamina, but will be so broken down mentally that 800 meters into the race, he and his coach will agree that he should drop out in order to give you, the clearly superior athlete (based on your incredibly bold first lap), the win. It's as simple as that.

go out suicide and see if he goes with you

Make a big move on the 3rd lap. As hard as you can go without causing a blow up. Fast 3rd lap, hold on to a decent pace for final lap.

OK- lots of dumb/half serious advice above. Here is some serious advice. ..

Just guessing here, but I bet this is a HS or smaller college race, and the two of you will be out front not dealing with traffic. Some of the tactics mentioned won't matter.

As a former 1500 specialist, my kick was always my super power. So I can say for sure, if this guy has a better kick than you then make sure you push the pace with at least 600 to go (maybe even 800 if you feel you have the gas). This will surprise him. Make him feel tired and off his strategy by the time you hit the bell lap. Control the front of the race. Continue to push hard from 1100-1300 and try to get a bit of a gap. If he hits a half lap to go, has already been tired for the last 400 meters, and you have a bit of a gap, this is your perfect scenario.

Good luck! Even if you don't win, you'll scare him and have that mental edge next time the two of you line up. He'll be nervous to race you!

mix of advice here...Tanya Harding?

runnerchef wrote:

mix of advice here...Tanya Harding?

Somebody had to say it and I'm thankful it wasn't me.

You basically have three options:

#1 - Go out hard and try to burn him out.

#2 - Go out 'regular' and try to surge in the middle and burn out his kick.

#3 - See if you really do have a slower kick than him and follow him until 100m to go.

Don't do something in the middle, go out kind-of hard or be lazy in your surge. If you are going to make a move, make a move.

This strategy worked for me once: In a duel meet, I was racing a rival who had superior PRs over me (probably 2-3 sec for the 1500, and probably 1-2 for 800 m). I had a hunch he liked to kick with 300 m out. In this particular race, he stayed in the pack of the pack through 1000 m with the race at a moderate pace. At 1000 m, I was in 3rd and made a very aggressive move to first. Because this was on the main straightaway, I don't believe he saw that I made made my until 400 to go, once I was on the turn. By then I had good 10-15-m lead. Of course, I still had to maintain my aggressive move. With about 40 m left, he pulled even, but I will still able to pull out the win. The strategy worked because I made my move at 500 m with sort of head start, while he had to make his move at 400 m with a deficit to overcome. That is the only time I beat this particular runner.

You will get beat if you set a fast pace from the start. Your rival will expect this and conserve his energy to close any gap with 100 to go and outkick you.

The best bet for the win is a long drive off an honest pace. Is there anyone else in the race who will set a decent pace? That would be great. If not, take the lead and run a standard pace, relax, not too fast, but make your rival work a bit.

Start building pace with perhaps 600 to go. Up the ante every 200 or so. Throw it down hard over the last 150. This gives you a chance for the win.

As a high school junior, I was seeded 4th in our league championship mile. We knew this kid Rick would win, he was that much better, around a 4:25 miler. I really hoped to get 2nd, but it was a tall order. The 2nd seed, Tom, blew me off the track over the final lap in a dual meet 4:33 to 4:36.

In the league final, Rick went out hard. Everyone followed on his heels, but I laid back, a calculated risk. I was 30 meters back at the half, but worked hard and caught Tom at the bell. He held off my move to pass. I got by him on the backstretch though.

To my surprise, he went by hard with 150 to go. I dug deep and nailed him by .6 for 2nd.

It was not easy, I was spent from 3 moves on the last lap, but he had taken too much out of the bank in the first half and was vulnerable. The moral of the story, work this guy from 600 out and give it your all. Good luck!