Portal:Sport of athletics/Selected article/19

A pacemaker or pacesetter, sometimes informally called a rabbit, is a runner who leads a middle- or long-distance running event for the first section to ensure a high speed and to avoid excessive tactical racing. A competitor who chooses the tactic of leading in order to win is called a front-runner rather than a pacemaker.

Pacemakers are frequently employed by race organisers for world record attempts with specific instructions for lap times, or helping runners knows where their invisible "opponent" predecessor is at that stage of the race. Some athletes have essentially become professional pacemakers. Pacemakers may be used to avoid deceptive tactics by competitors who, for example, race away from the start line and are likely to subsequently slow down, giving the other runners the impression that they are far behind. A trusted team of pacemakers who are paid to keep the runners at a speed that they can manage for the rest of the race become useful in such a situation. Pacemakers can also facilitate drafting and convey tangible pacing information during a race.

For amateur runners, pacemakers assist in reaching personal goals -- for example, in marathons there are often pacemakers for 3 hours, 3:30, 4 hours, etc. Such pace-setters are referred to as a pacing bus or bus in South African races. This role differs from ultramarathon running, where pacers typically join individual runners partway through the race to provide support and companionship rather than setting the overall race pace.

Flashing lights in the side of tracks set to a specific pace were an innovation introduced in 1972 by the professional International Track Association to provide visual excitement to their races. They became commonly used in major competitions (aside from championship meets) around 2023. (Full article...)