Track rabbits unravelled: Art and craft of pacesetting

Shattering a world record is an orgasmic feeling for any middle or long distance runner — a befitting end to at least 21 km of straining their muscles in supersonic surge towards the ultimate prize. 

As a battalion of admirers worldwide bow at his or her feet in awe, only the athlete knows that this accomplishment is down to teamwork with a group of special runners pulling him towards the finish with every kilometre. 

Such is the life of a pacesetter; an unsung hero whose comfort is the extra millions or hundreds of thousands of shillings added to their bank account after helping an elite athlete achieve his or her target in a race. 

Also known as rabbits, pacesetters are a group of runners who lead a group of middle or long distance runners in a specific race to enable the latter achieve a set time record. 

They are also utilised in world record attempts during which they are specifically required to run at a prescribed pace to guide the competitors towards the desired time set by race organisers. 

For Kenyans, the mention of pacers brings to mind last year's INEOS 1:59 challenge in Vienna, Austria during which Eliud Kipchoge successfully attempted to become the first athlete to run a marathon under two hours. 

The marathon world record holder's success was partly attributable to at least 15 pacers - including Kenyan-born US marathon star Bernard Lagat - who helped lay the tempo for the attempt that Kipchoge subsequently picked up and superseded in an impressive fashion. 

Meticulous rabbits 

Martin Keino is one of the world's renowned pacesetters having pace-set for the who-is-who in the middle and long-distance running. 

His pacesetting profile includes former 3,000m world record holder Daniel Komen, former 10,000m Olympic champion Haile Gebrselassie and 5000m world record holder Kenenisa Bekele. 

In his vast years of pacesetting, Keino has learnt that  sharp focus and optimum fitness are integral ingredients for effective pacesetting. 

"At the highest level, your fitness needs to be world class and you must have a good understanding of the pace required. You must also be conscious of how the race is unfolding to be able to make adjustments," Keino, son to Kenyan athletics legend Kipchoge Keino, says.  

Former Mully Half Marathon winner Sammy Nyokaye has been a pacesetter for four and a half years and is familiar with the thrills and perils of the role. 

He describes himself as a forerunner who paves the way for other athletes to propel towards the finish line. 

"As a pacesetter, you must be aggressive and intense in your training because you are the pilot of the race. Therefore, you must work really hard on your speed and endurance so that you do not drop out of the race before the designated distance," Nyokaye says. 

Other than setting the tempo for the runners, Nyokaye also perceives himself as a bodyguard for the athletes by watching out for any barriers that may slow down the latter. 

"You must be focused on the race and even on the course. You are the eyes and ears of the runners and must be watchful of anything that may hinder them like stones on the road, bumps or even potholes. Pacesetters should also be knowledgeable of the set time and to constantly maintain their pace so that they do not fall below the target," he says. 

Unlike rabbits, who are wily and may not necessarily play by the rules of the jungle, pacesetters perform their 'rabbit' role within  a set of defined rules by the race organisers and the athletes. 

For starters, the race organisers prescribe a specific point at which they are allowed to drop out and allow the competing runners to complete the race. 

"The drop out point for the pacesetter is usually an agreed distance that may be three-quarters of the total length of the race. The pacesetter must stick to the pace, go the required distance  and exit smoothly without disrupting the ongoing race," Keino says. 

Rules of pacesetting

Nyokaye, who first pace-set for a group of elite runners in a 10,000m trial in the United Kingdom in 2016, recalls that he was once deducted 5 per cent of his agreed total earnings for dropping out before the agreed point. 

"Sometimes you can reach 25km and feel that you are still energetic or inspired to continue. Most race organisers do not have a problem with you pushing all the way or running some extra kilometres. For example, I once went all the way to 35km and was given extra cash ," Nyokaye recalls. 

In many cases, not content with forerunning, some pacesetters go the whole hog and complete the race —sometimes outshining the runners. 

Former World Marathon silver medallist Simon Biwott surprised many during the Berlin Marathon in 2000 when he crossed the finish line ahead of other runners  who he was mean to pace-set. 

Apart from grabbing worldwide attention, Biwott walked home with approximately Sh2.7 million in his bank account, which was the prize money for the event, in addition to his earnings as a pacemaker.  His time of 2:07:42— ahead of Spaniard Antonio Pena who came second— was the fifth fastest for a marathon that year. 

Biwott was following in the footsteps of Brazilian Vanderlei de Lima who could not resist the allure of a first-place finish at the 1994 Reims Marathon when he reached the 21km mark.

The Brazilian – who went on to claim  bronze at the 2004 Athens Olympics – eventually crossed the finish line at 2:11: 06.

At the 2003 Berlin Marathon, Kenyan Sammy Korir almost denied Paul Tergat his marathon world record of 2:04:55.  Tergat, the pre-race favourite, was forced to pull out all stops to prevent the pacesetter from causing an upset.

As some sort of consolation, Korir came in at second place clocking in 2:04:56 – a second behind Tergat.

A pacesetter's joy

Intrinsically, a pacesetter's joy comes from helping  runners achieve their race target especially breaking a world record.  This is a feeling that Keino is all-too familiar with having helped Komen, Gebreslassie and Bekele set new world records in their race categories. 

"The most memorable race was pacing for  Komen when he broke the world record in the two-mile. It was the first time under 8:00 minutes over the distance and it was a fantastic feeling to be a part of that history, knowing I played an important role," Keino says. 

For Nyokaye, finishing off a race that he started off as a rabbit evokes ecstasy that cannot be compared to any pacesetting achievements.  “My best memory is in 2017 during the Barcelona Marathon when I decided to complete the race rather than drop half-way. I was so  thrilled because I was pacing for other elite athletes and to finish ahead of some of them was quite ecstatic,” he reminisces.

For his exploits, he was awarded a financial bonus and an official time that he had run in the race. Not only that but his feat in the Catalan city whet his appetite for a career as a middle-distance runner.

On the flip-side, pacesetting has also left him with unpleasant memories. “My worst moment was in the Riga Marathon in Latvia when I was forced to drop out at 22km instead of 25km because of fitness problems. It was disheartening not only because of the deductions on my agreed earnings but also because I was not able to fulfil my obligation as a pacemaker,” Nyokaye says.

For all his achievements and subsequent accolades, Keino remembers one heartbreaking incident during the Brussels Golden League. 

"While pacing in the 5,000m, the athletes refused to follow the agreed pace, so we slowed down to avoid looking awkward, 40 meters ahead. Then suddenly, a lone athlete decided to run away from the pack and subsequently passed us, forcing me to race ahead of him to justify my job.  I had to drop off before reaching the agreed distance. I lost money in that race," he recounts. 

Launchpad or retirement?

Nyokaye admits that his pacesetting background has provided him with valuable lessons that he has been applying in his running career.

“Pacesetting helps you to strategise better when running a marathon. You are much aware on how to maintain your pace in relation to the target time. You are also better equipped on how to maintain a proper distance between you and other competitors,” he says.

While for Nyokaye  pacing was a launchpad to a career as a runner, it was the opposite case for Keino. 

Having started off as a 1,500m athlete - the forte of Keino Sr. during his running days - Keino then branched off into pacing. 

"The goal was to race as much as possible. However, the demand for my pacing services was far higher than the racing opportunities," he says. 

American Matt Scherer also started out as a sprinter in high school having participated in the 400m race category before becoming a pacemaker in 2011.

He retired as a professional pacesetter in 2014.

Whether a retirement plan or a launchpad, pacesetting is a career with the same rigours as a runner.

As Nyokaye and Keino testify, it is a bloody, sweaty and teary affair that pays off with millions of shillings streaming into your bank account – and a podium finish for those who entertain the thoughts of rewriting the race script.