1500 / 1600 / Mile Race Tactics

Traditional Approach: The traditional approach to racing this event is similar to the 5K and 10K. Don’t start out absurdly fast. Lap 1 of your race may be 1 second SLOWER than your goal pace. Laps 2 and 3 should be on the target pace - no excuses, no negotiating with yourself :) Lap 4 should be an all-out finish, which may only result in .5 - 1.5 seconds faster than the goal pace for the race.

In the video below, the goal pace was 66 seconds per lap, for 1500m: Lap 1 was 67 seconds (on purpose - 1 second slower than goal pace), laps 2 and 3 were 66s (EXACTLY on pace), and the remainder of the race was about 65 pace. This is a clinic on how we teach many athletes to run the event. In this practice time trial, she is about 70m off the world record pace (sea level equivalent). At 21 years-old, we’ll take it as a great day! In the USAs NCAA system, this would have been the fastest 1500m of 2023, regardless of elevation or conversions.

Is the Traditional Approach the “BEST” approach - maybe, maybe not. Study the world record attempts and determine for yourself which ways work the best at the highest levels, when it matters most to run your best time ever. The Traditional Approach (and nearly all World Record attempts) is the far opposite of how most average-level high school athlete approach the event.