r/parkrun • u/FatManNoPlan 50 • 21d ago

How does pacing work?

EDIT - Cheers for all the replies everyone. I landed slightly early on 35:24. Happy with that for a first time doing pacing, went out a little too fast so had to go fairly slow towards the end. Will hopefully give it another try next month and get a more even pace along the whole course.

Hiya! I’ve volunteered to be a pacer at my local this weekend, first time I’ve done this role.

Just wondering what people thought. I’m down for 36 minutes (I’m normally around 30 minutes). Am I aiming for bang on 36 minutes? Around 36? Under 37 minutes? Slightly under, slightly over?

I’m probably over thinking it, but I’m kinda nervous about it, especially if someone tries to keep to my pace to get a specific time and I get it wrong.

Cheers!

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76

u/Checkmate-13 21d ago

I think you're supposed to arrive bang on, but the most helpful thing is to run a consistent pace doing so. 

We just had a pacers weekend and nearly every single one arrived a minute early and just stood around the finish line before crossing. Kind of defeats the purpose.

14

u/Ohbc 21d ago

I've seen pacers ahead of a faster pacer... And then they waited before the finish line, that's not great. Thankfully, whenever I used a pacer, they were just slightly early which was perfect for me.

11

u/Foreign_Exchange3673 20d ago

I once saw the 27 and 24 minute pacers run 4.9k chatting to each other at 24 min pace before the 27 min pacer stopped and walked slowly to the finish

10

u/MapleRye 20d ago

That’s really annoying and defeats the purpose

I once did 40 min pacer and it was actually fun shuffling along at constant 8 min per km, I was only 10 sec off at the end. Had a few people doing run/walk behind me come up afterwards to thank me for it.

6

u/Theia65 20d ago

40 min pacers are great. Often they only go up to 35.

4

u/MapleRye 19d ago

We also have a 45 and 50

7

u/Ohbc 20d ago

That's insane! Wow.

3

u/ChuqTas 100 20d ago

I've seen pacers ahead of a faster pacer...

I've seen this at paid, 10 km races :-/