05/25/2026
Tip of the week - how to pass a competitor on the run.
When on the run leg, how and when you try to pass another runner can be critical to the final result. You may find yourself in a race where you are equally matched with another racer. You find that you are close to each other for most of the run and you really want to beat them to the finish line. You decide it is time to try and drop them. How do you do it? Many people stay a yard or two behind their competitor and then try and outsprint them in the final 100yds to the line. This is a risky stratgey as you don't know what kind of kick they may possess and many people find a superhuman charge once they have the finish in sight. A better option is to use a burst of effort, preferably up a small incline far from the finish. Basically, as you approach a small hill, position yourslef a few yards behind them. As you hit the hill, accelerate to about as fast as you can run and pass them at this speed. The effort of the hill, the surprise of your attack and the speed of your pace will crush their will and make them think that their is no point in trying the match you! Of course, you are essentially bluffing. But if you pass them confidently enough, they will fade back into their own race and you can slow back down to your intended pace and recover. In lieu of a hill, you can do this same technique by throwing in random surges of speed to break the will of your competitor.
