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The Best Way to Run a Long-distance Race

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In this case you will, of course, be governed by your handicap to a very large extent, and presuming that the younger and more inexperienced runner will be more inclined to seek instruction in these pages than the practised men, who will possibly have to start from “ scratch,” I propose commencing with “ limit men,” or with men who are getting on that way.

great deal depends on whether the start is given in distance or in time, the first of which is naturally more acceptable to the recipient, seeing that he is not compelled to actually run the full course.

In the first case I would give him the same advice at; I would to a scratch man for his start. The same rule naturally applies to both at the first go off.

STARTING.

Don’t imagine that you want to crouch down as a sprinter does. The dash forward and snapping up of a yard or so is very little advantage in a long race, and the effort to snatch it will take more out of you than the advantage is worth.

Stand at your mark in an easy, loose attitude leaning slightly forward, as shown in the illustration, with ears well stretched to catch the first sound of the pistol, arid every muscle ready to get away as soon as that goes off.

Get away smartly, with a stride of, say, 4 ft. 10 in. in length, letting this go as easily as you can. Don’t make the mistake of striding too long, or of lifting your legs too high. For either of these will only weary you, just as will any excessive gesticulation with your arms. Remember that you are not striving to cover the ground ,
as fast as possible, but are aiming to keep up a ten-mile run at as near a mile every five minutes as you can-the earlier miles in a few seconds loss; but this is only on account of the naturally redressed balance later on.

Stride right off about 4 ft. 10 in. or 6 ft., and under normal circumstances keep this up right through till the last quarter or half mile, when, supposing the other men to be on the scene or thereabouts (as they will certainly be), you can lay yourself out for a right-down sprint, striding as far as you can stretch, and springing all you know how every time.

Supposing, however, that your start is in time. Then you can set out to cover as much ground as you conveniently can in the seconds allowed. Conveniently can means as much ground as you can get over without run-ning any risk of pumping yourself later on. You must be careful of this, but bear in mind that the farther you have got away from the field or the scratch men the more ground they will have to cover before they can catch you up.

The longer this is, the more depressed they will get naturally. A stern chase is proverbially a long one, and a back-maker is liable to reckon his distance and pace quite as much by the men he passes as he will by the laps covered. So set your mind on getting in front an moon as you can and staying in that position for as long as you can manage to do so.

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