Optimal Pacing of 400m and 800m Races: A Standard Microeconomics Approach (2016)

View/ Open
Type of Content
Discussion / Working PapersPublisher
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS AND FINANCE, UNIVERSITY OF CANTERBURYCollections
- Business: Working Papers [193]
Abstract
The optimal way for an athlete to run 400m and 800m races has long been debated by athletes, coaches, and more recently by physicists and applied mathematicians. These two particular running events are different from both shorter and longer races, due to their emphasis upon an athlete’s lactate system. If the first part of the race is run either too quickly (in which case the fatigue that is generated makes the second half of the race both slow and painful) or too slowly (in which case even though the second half will be fast, it cannot make up for the time lost earlier on),2 the total time for the entire distance will not be as fast as it could otherwise have been. In this paper we discuss this choice problem in a standard microeconomic setting, and we solve for the optimal “split” times for the first and second half of the race.
Citation
Gunby PP, Watt R (2016). Optimal Pacing of 400m and 800m Races: A Standard Microeconomics Approach. DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS AND FINANCE, UNIVERSITY OF CANTERBURY. Christchurch. DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS AND FINANCE, UNIVERSITY OF CANTERBURY.This citation is automatically generated and may be unreliable. Use as a guide only.
Keywords
constrained optimization; microeconomics; athleticsANZSRC Fields of Research
11 - Medical and Health Sciences::1106 - Human Movement and Sports Science::110699 - Human Movement and Sports Science not elsewhere classified38 - Economics::3803 - Economic theory::380304 - Microeconomic theory
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
Are athletes on the right track? The effect of availability of an all-weather athletics track on athletics performance
Watt R; Hogan S (2017)In February of 2011, an earthquake destroyed the only all-weather athletics track in the city of Christchurch (New Zealand). The track has yet to be replaced, and so since the loss of the track, local Christchurch athletes ... -
Physical activity profiles and perceived environmental determinants in New Zealand: a national cross-sectional study
Garrett, N.; Schluter, P.J.; Schofield, G. (University of Canterbury. School of Health Sciences, 2012)BACKGROUND: A minority of adults in developed countries engage in sufficient physical activity (PA) to achieve health benefits. This study aims to identify modifiable perceived resources and barriers to PA among New Zealand ... -
Detecting variable responses in time-series using repeated measures ANOVA: Application to physiologic challenges
Macey, P.M.; Schluter, P.J.; Macey, K.E.; Harper, R.M. (University of Canterbury. School of Health Sciences, 2016)We present an approach to analyzing physiologic timetrends recorded during a stimulus by comparing means at each time point using repeated measures analysis of variance (RMANOVA). The approach allows temporal patterns ...