Part 3: Beginner racing mistakes to avoid
You have just completed your warm up as you hear the announcer call all racers to the starting line. The butterflies in your stomach start to fly as you begin to get nervous for your first 5K race. Now the only thing you do not know is where to line up.jpg)
at the starting line. Should you line up at the front, middle, or the back of the pack?
Many people have problems figuring out where they should line up at the start of the race. As a basic rule you should remember that the faster you are then the closer to the front you can get, and the slower you are the farther back you should start. To help people find their correct starting position many races have started to put up signs. These signs suggest starting places based on predicted race pace. If your race doesn't have the signs then you can ask other runners what kind of pace they are expecting to run. Then line yourself up accordingly.
Lining up in the correct position is very important for two reasons. First, it is important for your safety. When you line up closer to the front when you belong farther back then you run the risk of being trampled. When you line up to close to the front then you are forcing the faster runners to go around you. Second, it is important to help to prevent you from going out to fast (see Part 1: Beginner racing mistakes to avoid).
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