PACE GROUPS: An Idea Whose Time Has Come

EN ROUTE TO THE STARTING LINE of The LaSalle Banks Chicago Marathon, I stopped to chat with Amby Burfoot, executive editor of Runner's World. Frank Shorter, the 1972 Olympic marathon champ who was doing TV race commentary, soon joined us.

Burfoot said 4,000 runners had signed up for the Runner's World pace groups, one fourth the marathon's field. The magazine had printed 800 numbers for those hoping to finish in four hours and 30 seconds, the group I was leading. All had vanished by Saturday afternoon at the Expo!

Shorter commented: "Obviously, it's an idea whose time has come."

True, but it seemed a frightening idea. Although Cristina Negron, the magazine's senior editor, was sharing pace duties with me for the 4:30 group, I wondered how the two of us were going to squire 800 runners through the streets of Chicago.

RABBITS FOR THE MASSES

Credit for inventing the pace groups goes to Burfoot. In 1995, runners were hoping to qualify for the 100th running of the Boston Marathon. Burfoot decided to bring the magazine's editors to the St. George Marathon in Utah (which features a downhill course) to pace runners in their qualifying efforts.

"Elite runners have `rabbits' to help them run fast," said Shorter. "Why shouldn't mid-pack runners be offered the same privileges?"

The pace groups at St. George proved so popular that Burfoot decided to do it again at the 1996 Dallas White Rock Marathon. Chicago received the nod for 1997.

That proved an extra challenge, since with 12,000 runners Chicago was significantly larger than St. George or Dallas. News spread, and soon Chicago became the marathon to run in the fall of 1997. More than 16,000 runners appeared.

Fearing that the larger field might make pace groups difficult to manage, I offered to recruit group leaders from the CARA marathon training class. Burfoot decided to stay with magazine editors only. That decision was understandable, but as I started toward the starting line, I worried about my ability to cope with 800 eager runners.

PICKING THE PACE

Others in the field were worried about coping with us! At the final lecture of the CARA training class, someone in the audience asked, "With the pace groups so large, how will we get around you?"

I smiled: "We'll get around you."

I anticipated a slow start leading to a fast finish. In 1996, I had begun in the back row and taken just over two minutes to cross the starting line. Thus, I designed a pace plan featuring a 12:00 first mile, 11:00 for the second, then a series of 10:00 and 10:20 miles through 24 miles. Slower miles were for those featuring aid stations, which I intended to walk through. Running 10:30 the last two miles would insure an exact 4:30 finish.

Alas, it took more than three minutes to cross the line. After an 11:00 second mile, we were 90 seconds down. No panic, however. By running a series of miles just under 10:00 (and taking slightly less than planned at aid stations), I had my group on pace by nine miles.

How big that group was, I had no way of knowing. A number of people later would say they looked for me with no luck. Others became separated from the group, often at an aid station. As group leader I ran in front, wearing a red cap along with a "4:30" on my back so runners could identify me. Every mile, I would raise that cap and shout, "4:30!" A large cheer would rise from those behind, but I didn't dare turn to look.

BLOWING THE WHISTLE Cristina Negron, meanwhile, had chosen a strategy featuring one-minute walking breaks every mile. For identification, she had a rotating propeller on her red cap and a whistle to blow so her group knew when to walk and run.

Our groups divided early, and it wasn't until near the 13-mile where the course goes up-and-back both sides of Harrison Street that I spotted her running about a minute behind, a large bunch in tow. Between us was Tom Joens, one of the leaders from the CARA training class. Keith Stones, a computer programmer from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, had made wrist bands featuring splits for all the Runner's World editors. I had given Joens one at the starting line, and he had attracted several dozen runners as well.

As we passed each mile, I would consult my pace band and announce the planned time, comparing it with digital clocks along the course. Rarely were we more than ten seconds off, plus or minus. "Relax. Relax," I counseled. "We're six seconds behind, but we'll make it up next mile." I became aware of several runners (whose names I never learned) running consistently off my shoulders, but had no idea of how else many trailed.

Efforts to learn from spectators who was leading the race failed. Near the half-way point, I announced, "The leaders have already finished."

To which someone responded, "You're our leader!"

THE PIED PIPER

That was comforting, but by 20 miles I sensed fewer people on my shoulders. By then, Negron--still taking walking breaks--had closed the gap between our groups. We alternately passed and repassed each other. "There were several dozen people running behind, not saying much, just looking very determined," she reported later. "I immediately thought of the Pied Piper." At 25 miles, however, she noted that my group was down to six--"and you looked pretty beat.".

True. I had warned those with me that I was drifting off pace and to go ahead. With a mile to go, I realized I would need a 9:30 split to hit our goal time of four hours and 30 minutes. My legs were rubber; I missed by 90 seconds. (Counting time lost at the start, we actually ran 4:28.)

Alas, with the crowd at the finish, I never had a chance to high-five any of those who had run with me. I would begin hearing from them in the following days, usually by email. Most were happy for the help. As Frank Shorter said, it was an idea whose time had come.

Next year, Runner's World will move to a different marathon, but the legacy of its pace groups remain. We have already begun discussions to make pace groups a permanent fixture of The LaSalle Banks Chicago Marathon.

Copyright © 1997 by Hal Higdon. All rights reserved. Requests to reprint will be considered.