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‘Ultra-Pacing

While Pacing in the Marathon Is Frowned Upon and Often Illegal, in Ultras It Is an Art.

FTEN, THE image that comes to mind when you think of ultrarunning

is the lone, dedicated runner covering vast distances over mountain trails, deserts, or endless miles of roads. But in reality, most ultrarunners don’t cover those great distances alone. They are often accompanied by a pacer. But the pacer who accompanies an ultrarunner is not what traditional road racers think of when they hear the word “pacer.” In the traditional sense, a pacer is a runner participating in a race to help another runner maintain a particular pace—usually a fast, demanding pace that may be too strenuous for the runner to achieve alone. But a pacer in an ultrarunning event has many roles, some of which we’ll discuss here. We’ll also talk about some of the many demands and rewards of ultra-pacing.

WHAT IS A PACER?

An ultra may define pacers as “trail companions,” as they are in the Western States 100, America’s oldest 100-mile trail race, which runs through California’s beautiful Sierra Nevada and through hot, deep canyons along the American River. As a “trail companion,” the pacer is expected to accompany a runner during the late stages of the race to help him or her stay on course in the dark and keep the runner safe while negotiating trails in the waning miles of a long race. But, depending on the race, a pacer may be much more than a companion. When the race does not restrict the role, the pacer may function as a “mule,” carrying the runner’s water bottles, extra clothing, and lighting for the night sections of the race. For instance, the 19-year-old Leadville Trail 100 (LT 100), which starts at 10,125 feet in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains and twice climbs to 12,600 feet on a 50-mile out-and-back course, maintains its independent, Wild West character by allowing—even encouraging—pacers to assist their runners by muling. During the mandatory pre-race meeting, race director Ken

Clouber scoffs at other ultras’ strict pacing rules, announcing that in the LT100 no one really cares when the water bottles carried by the pacer cross the finish line. What matters is when the runner crosses the finish line.

Along with defining the role of the pacer, a race also identifies the points where runners can be joined by pacers. Unless there’s a special consideration (such as a runner’s mature age or a health condition that requires a pacer from the beginning of the race), ultrarunners generally complete about half of a long race on their own before being joined by their pacer. Knowing that they’ Il have some company and assistance for the later miles often adds incentive as runners rack up the miles toward the middle of a race.

Race management decides how many pacers a runner can have at any one time and identifies points on the course where pacers may enter and exit— usually at designated aid stations. To comply with insurance requirements, pacers must be listed in the race as pacers. Through the identification information and the liability waiver that the pacer signs, he or she becomes an official participant in the race, wearing a bib number that matches the runner’s bib number but which also features a unique marking or color to identify the participant as a pacer.

If a runner has more than one pacer, which is advisable for keeping the pacer as fresh and alert as possible over huge ultra distances, the pacer’s bib number is transferred from one pacer to the next as their pacing responsibilities are completed.

Race management may also define other rules about pacing, such as how close the pacer needs to be to the runner. It may be against the rules for a fresh pacer anticipating an upcoming aid station to run ahead of a fatigued runner to fill water bottles and snatch needed gear from the runner’s drop bag or crew. This may be seen as an unfair advantage that might affect overall finish time.

Although each ultra establishes its own rules governing pacers and their roles, a few basic pacing concepts are common to most events.

PSYCHOLOGIST, DOCTOR, AND COACH

No matter how a race defines a pacer’s role, there are some functions a pacer nearly always serves. “Friend, doctor, nursemaid, entertainer, and whipping boy,” are the functions champion Colorado ultrarunner Adam Chase claims as he paced five-time Leadville Trail 100 champion Steve Peterson to his first LT100 victory in 1998.

Peterson, an even-tempered, focused ultrarunner, took Chase’s friendly encouragement and feedback regarding the speed of descents and other milestone accomplishments within the race. To provide a psychological boost, Chase suggested that Peterson consider him a television with easily

Theresa Daus-Weber ULTRA-PACING M 21

With the help of his pacer (P1), Steve Peterson (center) takes the lead at mile 60 in the Leadville Trail 100.

changeable channels. At Peterson’s request, Chase might babble on with lighthearted “cartoon channel” amusement or provide PBS-like educational programming complete with feedback on technical aspects of Peterson’s running form, pace, splits, fuel, hydration, and so on. Other participants in the race were grateful that Peterson never requested the MTV channel.

A large part of a pacer’s success is his or her sensitivity to the runner’s emotions. Knowing the runner well allows the pacer to provide different incentives at different times. And it helps for pacers to understand the peaks and valleys any ultrarunner experiences while covering many miles over long, lonely hours. Sometimes a runner might be encouraged by praise for a fast split between aid stations or a great climb. At other times, simply mentioning the amount of distance covered or the “measly” 22 miles left to go might spark a wrathful reply from a fatigued, nauseated ultrarunner. At such times, the pacer needs to use his or her best psychological skills to redirect the runner’s venting and refocus him or her on the task and goal.

Over the long miles and hours that an ultrarunner is racing, a pacer should remind the runner to stay hydrated, eat on the run, relax tense muscles, and breathe regularly. Often, the pacer needs to manage the runner’s intake of upset-stomach remedies and pain relievers for sore, tired muscles. Sometimes the pacer plays nursemaid, zipping up a rain jacket or tying a shoe. Over 27 hours of running, the mind can become feeble and forgetful, and even small,