The Tactical Art of Surging

Makhloufi's tactical surges pay off
(snap from NBCOlympics)

The 100m race is run all out. You get the best start you can and then run as fast as you can till you're through the finish line. Tactics during the finals of such an event are virtually nonexistent. Sure, during the qualifying heats a runner might decide to make a statement by running hard to show his/her stuff. Or that same runner might simply hold something back and keep the rest of the field ignorant of their full capability. But periodically speeding the pace up as a tactical move (i.e., surging) simply isn't in the cards - the race is too short. The fastest persons wins, not the one with the best tactical maneuvers during the race. In longer races - certainly from the 1500m on up - tactics, like surging, come into play.


So, why employ the surge? From what I've read, a surge can serve several tactical purposes in those longer races where tactics can actually play a significant part. A surge can either: a) tax your competitors physiologically, perhaps by tiring out those runners who rely on their finishing kick to win races, or b) stress your competitors psychologically by giving them the impression that you've got some hidden strength they don't, that you're in control, or that you're simply unbeatable, or c) take the initiative at a time when there'll be little chance to respond properly and effectively, such as a last lap surge / sprint that simply can't be met by the competition. Surging does not make for efficient racing - the best times would be achieved by a more even pace. But winning a big time race is not necessarily about beating the clock but about beating the other runners to the finish line.

In his impressive victory in the 2012 London Olympics 1500m race this past week, Taoufik Makhloufi of Algeria seemed to achieve all of these objectives with his surging tactics. At the very beginning of the race, Makhloufi surged straight to the front of the pack of runners and led the race only 7 seconds into it (see next pic).

Taoufik Makhloufi's first surge to the front of the pack at the race's start
(snap from NBCOlympics)

I'd guess that Makhloufi was making a statement. Not that he was going to lead the race from start to finish, but that this was his race and he was announcing to everyone that this is where he'll finish: ahead of everyone else. Of course, I'm putting my thoughts into his head but it doesn't sound too far fetched, does it?

Makhloufi made several other small surges later in the race, at the 2:12, 2:33, and 2:40 points. I'm guessing that these were more designed to keep him within surging distance of the front of the pack and making sure he didn't get boxed in. Makhloufi waited until the 2:54 mark with about 300 meters to go to throw his last and most devastating surge at his opponents. He broke to front with a nearly full out sprint, leaving only a few runners even in position to answer his surge (see next pic).

Taoufik Makhloufi's final surge to win the men's 1500m Olympic gold medal
(snap from NBCOlympics)

Turns out he played his cards right and everyone else in the race ended up playing a game of catch up which none of them won, at least as far as the gold medal position was concerned.

In the timelapserunner's upcoming marathon race, a wholly different situation will play out. There will be no competitors to beat, no others to outfox, no fear of being boxed in and certainly no need to try to convince anyone else that he's invincible. Therefore, surging will be of no benefit and would only tax critical energy resources needed to survive his first marathon. However, there are tactics that the timelapserunner can use during that race. We'll look at a few of those ideas in future posts.

TODAY'S WORKOUT: A simple 3-mile walk around the neighborhood, followed by stretching. Average pace: 15:53. No problems to report.