“….analyze the pacing profiles of the world’s top 800 meter annual performances between 2010 and 2016, comparing men’s and women’s strategies. A total of 142 performances were characterized for overall race times and 0-to-200-m, 200-to-400-m, 400-to-600-m, and 600-to-800-m split times using available footage…..”
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“The mean speed of the men’s 800-m was 7.73 meters per second, with the 0-to-200-m split faster than the others. After the first split, the speed decreased significantly during the 3 subsequent splits.”
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“The mean speed of the women’s 800-m was 6.77 meters per second, with a significative variation in speed during the race. The first split was faster than the others. During the rest of the race, speed was almost constant, and no difference was observed between the other splits.”
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“Comparison between men and women revealed that there was an interaction between split and gender, showing a different pacing behavior in 800-m competitions. The world’s best 800-m performances revealed an important difference in the pacing profile between men and women. Tactics could play a greater role in this difference, but physiological and behavioral characteristics are likely also important.”
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L.Filipas, et al
Elite Male and Female 800-m Runners’ Display of Different Pacing Strategies During Season-Best Performances
International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance — Volume 13 #10 — November 2018 — page 1344
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“….assess tactical and performance factors associated with progression from qualification rounds in the 800-m and 1500-m running events at the 2017….World Championships.”
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“Race positions at the end of each 400-m lap remained more stable through 800-m races than 1500-m races. Probability of automatic qualification decreased with both race position and rank order lap times on each lap, although rank order lap times accounted for a higher degree of shared variance than did intermediate position. In the 1500-m event, fastest losers ran at a higher percentage of season’s best speed and adopted positions closer to the race lead in the early stages. This was not the case in the 800-m.”
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“Intermediate positioning and the ability to produce a fast final race segment are strongly related to advancement from qualification rounds in middle-distance running events. The adoption of a more “risky” strategy characterized by higher speeds relative to season’s best may be associated with an increased likelihood of qualification as fastest losers in the 1500-m event.”
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A.Casado, A. Renfree
Fortune Favors the Brave: Tactical Behaviors in the Middle-Distance Running Events at the 2017 IAAF World Championships
International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance — Volume 13 #10 — November 2018 — page 1386