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Strive to achieve their goals by pretending they are in the Olympic Games and are training to compete
against "other" great athletes in the world
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Calculate the length of time it takes to cover a mile and the miles per hour
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Set personal improvement goals (distance, time, speed) for participation in the Pace Run
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Implement various pacing strategies
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Discuss various running training regimens for different Olympic sports, and the role
that cardiovascular conditioning plays in each sport
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Encourage each other through verbal support as they each move around the course
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Review the concept of pacing prior to this activity. Mark a one-mile course with interim distance markers every tenth of a mile.
Be sure each student has proper shoes and clothing before beginning the Pace Run. Check the course for any problem areas, i.e.
debris, holes, sprinkler heads. Schedule adults to time students or have students complete the course in pairs, with one person
running while their partner times their progress, at the end of the mile run and/or at end of each segment. Make sure students
warm-up and cool-down appropriately. Setting up the course with markers should take about 10 minutes, and the activity should
last from approximately 10 to 30 minutes.
Group students into pairs or small groups. The following steps will teach students how fast they are walking/running in miles per hour.
First, students should know the time it takes them to cover one mile. They will then divide that time into 60 minutes. The total will
represent miles per hour. In the Pace Run, students will learn and implement various pacing strategies to meet their own personal goals
rather than competing with one another. Students should stagger the start of the run as individuals or small groups so as not to race each other.
Stress the goal of setting a stronger or faster pace with each marker they encounter. Remind students that they are individuals with different
course challenges, so they will be achieving their distances at different times and at different speeds.
Discuss with students the different types of running regimens associated with different Olympic sports, and their various purposes and benefits.
Help students analyze their performance in terms of finding the most optimal pacing strategy.
Organize an intra-class cross-country meet with various courses. Students may be placed on equalized teams using previously recorded times.
Compare training regimes in other track events.
Pangrazi, R.P., & Dauer, V.P. (1992). Dynamic Physical Education for Elementary School Children,
(10th Ed.). New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Co. walking: pp. 292-294; running: 294-295, 217-218; distance running: pp. 661-662; cross-country running: pp. 668-670.
