Cross-Country Running: Running Pace Game

Dick Moss, Editor, PE Update.com

Here's a game to give runners an awareness for different running paces.

How to Play
Choose a large, grassy open space for this game. Everyone begins at the same spot. On a signal, your athletes start to run, in whatever direction they choose and at their own individual pace. When you blow your whistle, they stop where they are while you shout out the elapsed time since the start.

On your second whistle, everyone turns around and runs back to the starting line at exactly the same pace. Blow the whistle when the same amount of time (as the outward run) has elapsed. The runner closest to the start line has most accurately duplicated their initial pace and wins the game.

When to Use
You can use the Pace Game at different stages of your cross-country season by changing the length of the runs. Shorter runs will be performed faster and can be used as interval/anaerobic workouts, while longer runs will be performed slower and can be used as aerobic sessions.

References:
1. Jeff Galloway, Cross Country Running and Racing, Meyer & Meyer Fachverlag und Buchhandel GmbH, 2010.
2. Jim Stinzi (Men's XC Running Coach, Michigan State U.) & (Eric Anderson (Editor), Training Games, TAFNEWS Press, 1994.

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