By Bryan Green

"Running from the front requires more energy.  But then again, so does catching up to the leader."

I wish I knew where I first heard that quote, but it always sticks with me when I watch championship racing.  If you could pick one place to be in the final lap, it would be 2nd place, one stride back from the leader, on the outside of lane 1 (preferably without Imane Merga slapping your arm and pushing you outside).  You're not in the front, but you're at the front, and you have to work the least to catch the leader.

You know who is always in that position?  Bernard Lagat.

Bernard Lagat just won a medal in his 6th outdoor championship, dating back to 2001 (and he likely would have medaled in 2003 and 2005 had he not been forced to sit out).  Obviously, Lagat is one of the most talented runners to ever lace up a pair of spikes.  But the fact that he continues to place so well against the world's best at age 36 is a matter of more than just talent.  He's no longer the best runner in the world, but he's arguably the best tactician.

All you can aim to do in a race is give yourself the best chance at placing as high as possible.  Lagat always puts himself in that position.  In fact, the art of executing perfect race tactics should just be named after him at this point.  We should all agree to call perfectly run races "Bernards" and to describe the right move at the right time as "Lagatesque".  Shouldn't we?

Why is it that Lagat can always run this way and others can't?  

To Mix It Up, Or Not To Mix It Up

Johnny Gray's shins were never touched by a competitor's spikes.

We first need to look at racing styles.  In general, there are three distinct race styles, and athletes tend to fall into one of the following: front-runners, big kickers, or mixer-upers.

Front-runners are a rare breed.  They go for it at the gun and challenge you to beat them.  Front-running, especially in championship settings, requires a unique combination of outstanding ability and what we might call delusional confidence.  Pre's myth centers around his front-running approach.  Another classic front-runner was Johnny Gray, who never met a race he didn't need to lead.  I think we can fairly assume his shins were the least spiked in history.  Charles Jock may be the next Johnny Gray.

Big kickers are the opposite of front-runners.  They hang as far back as possible--often dangerously far back--and rely on a huge kick to catch everyone as late as possible.  These guys are equally one-dimensional, albeit more thrilling to watch than front-runners.  The big problem for big kickers is that at some point, someone else in the race will have the same big kick and if you're at the back when the race really starts, you'll probably lose.  Nick Symmonds appears to be learning this, to his credit.  Maggie Vessey, Andrew Wheating, Robby Andrews, there are a lot of young American athletes who continue to use this approach exclusively to devastating success...and failure.

Mixer-upers are the guys who change their tactics for every race.  They mix it up with everyone, fight for position, aim to be in the right place at the right time, and are always trying to manufacture the perfect race.  Mixer-upers need to be constantly aware and reacting to the dynamic changes taking place mid-race.  This leaves them susceptible to other problems, like getting boxed in, kicked in the shins, tripped up, etc.  But when it works, these athletes are most likely to put themselves where you really want to be at the bell: 2nd place, one stride back, outside of lane 1.  

Most athletes are mixer-upers, if only because they don't have the necessary kick and/or they aren't delusional.  But most are not capable of consistently running ideal races in a championship setting.  Bernard Lagat is an exception, a mixer-uper who thrives in championships.  Have you noticed that Bernard Lagat never loses to big kickers?  That's because a) he has a pretty damn good kick, and b) when the kicking starts, he's always in better position than the big kicker.

If you're going to beat Bernard Lagat, you're going to have to both mix it up with him and be better than him.  A pretty hard task, as very few combine the consistently superior tactics with the finishing kick needed.  Mo Farah did, and he won the men's 5000m as a result.  But no one else did.

Bernard Lagat on the last lap in Daegu - right where he wants to be.

Can Lagatesque Tactics be Taught?

Are superior race tactics a skill that can be taught, or is the answer simply, "Some people get it and others don't"?  

I think Lagat's approach can be taught, for the most part.  The challenge is in maintaining the composure to execute it.  The first step is to simply understand what it is he does.  Luckily, Bernard Lagat has been running the same race for the past decade.  It is so predictable as to be boring.  

A "Bernard" can be summed up in 6 parts:

1.  Stay out of trouble early-mid race.  If possible, stay on the outside of lane 1.  If you have good position mid-race, don't give it up.  It's better to start at the back and move up on the outside than get trapped on the rail mid-race.

2.  Be in the top 3 by the last lap.  Sacrifice position early to have the freedom to move up by the last lap.  Aim to be on the outside of lane 1.

3.  Don't take the lead.  You should only take the lead once, when you are sure nobody can catch you.  For Bernard that's usually with about 100m to go.

4.  Don't go at the bell.  Everybody goes at the bell.  Too hard and too fast usually.  If you're aiming to win, you need to go just enough to keep contact with the leaders.  But you don't need to be right with them.  Most races are won in the final 100m, not the backstretch.

5.  Don't give up.  How many times have we seen someone open up a big lead from the bell to the final straight, only to get reeled in by the strongest finisher in the last 100m?  People who go early almost always come back.  So stay close enough to not lose faith.

6.  Have a good finish.  The first five don't matter if you don't have it at the end.  

It's simple but devastatingly effective.  Of course the X-factor is number 6.  Take Galen Rupp in both of his races.  He ran very good tactical races but didn't have it at the end.  So it goes.

A couple other Americans did have good finishes, however, and came home with medals as a result.  Jennifer Simpson took a page out of Lagat's book to win the women's 1500m gold, and Matt Centrowitz surpassed all expectations and snuck a bronze in the men's 1500m.



Simpson is a world-class steeplechaser who chose to run in on "off-event", the 1500m.  She has a 3:59 PR in the event, so it's not as though she had no credentials heading into the meet, but she was far from the favorite.  Still, she's a tenacious competitor, and is always mixing it up with the lead pack.  The final in Daegu was no different.  She stayed right near the front, didn't respond when everyone went too hard too soon at the bell, got to the outside and then picked people off down the homestretch to take the title.  

And Centrowitz was an even bigger surprise.  A 21-year old senior at the University of Oregon, he won the NCAA title (not a surprise) and then the US title (kind of a surprise), but if he'd been eliminated in the semis in Daegu everyone would have considered the experience a success.  Instead he controlled and won his semi (a race in which reigning champ Yusuf Saad Kamel failed to qualify), ran in perfect position at the front throughout the final, maintained his poise as the crowd jumped him at the bell, and kicked home faster than a slough of veterans to take bronze.  It wasn't just a Lagatesque final, it was a Lagatesque season.

What did Jennifer Simpson and Matt Centrowitz have in common with Bernard Lagat?  They executed a simple plan.  They always got themselves into the position they wanted to be in.  When they had good position, they didn't give it up easily.  They didn't get excited and go too early.  Even when they were gapped, they maintained enough connection to stay competitive.  And of course, they finished.

That's the part that can be taught.  In order to do it, however, they had to stay composed and disciplined as each round and each lap of the final heated up.  They couldn't get caught up in the moment and make a mistake.  You don't know if someone has that ability until they show it.  

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Heading into the World Championships this year is a new Craig Mottram. He’s engaged to be married, has a new coach, and a new passion for both life and running.

 

Getting back to Europe

 

This summer marks the first full European track season since 2008 for Craig Mottram as he attempts to qualify for this year’s World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea.

 

Before heading to the Athletics Australia base in Cologne, Germany a few weeks ago the Bronze medallist from 2005 in the 5,000m had been based at altitude in Boulder, Colorado for five weeks. It was the second time Mottram had trained on the famed Front Range of Colorado – the first being after the Commonwealth Games in 2006. “To be honest the first time I trained in Boulder I didn’t really like it, going half way across the world for a training camp then having to drive everywhere for training was annoying, but I thought I’d give it another go and this time around I am loving it – I want to find out what works for me, I don’t want to still be guessing this time next year”.

 

Like many athletes, Mottram is a creature of habit, so days in Boulder were simple. Five weeks of running twice day, plenty of coffee from the local Starbucks, and three hours of the CBS TV series ‘Criminal Minds’ to end each evening with a little excitement. Usually Mottram likes to break up the monotony of training camps with a race. This time around the plan was a 5,000m at the Diamond League in New York, but a couple of days missed on the track forced a slight change of plans. “It wasn’t worth going to New York to run 13:25 – it was more important to just get the work done. There will be plenty of opportunities in Europe to run fast”. This is part of a strategy to stick to the basics in training, and let the races in Europe bring him along – the biggest of which will be the Diamond League Meets in Birmingham on July 10^th and Monaco on twelve days later. “Birmingham will be to just get the time for the World Champs, then Monaco will be about having a stab”.

 

Although Mottram now handles all his own management in regards to sponsorship and his ambassador roles, he has been working with James Templeton (agent to David Rudisha) to finalise his European racing schedule.

 

Too Much Running, Not Enough Rest

After the Beijing Olympics, Mottram needed a break. Since the end of 2006 he had been battling chronic achilles pain, and it finally got the better of him. “The problem with achilles is that they creep up on you. For me, the Olympics were around the corner, I didn’t feel like I could afford to take a break, so I kept pushing. The Olympics is a trap in that regard, you don’t listen to your body. Eventually my achilles just couldn’t take anymore. It was too much running and not enough rest”.

 

The straw that broke the camels back came one night not long after the Olympics. Mottram’s dog Miles (born on the day of his semi-final in Beijing) needed to go outside. However, at this stage Mottram had to sleep in boots to keep his feet at 90degrees and keep strain off of his achilles. “I couldn’t get the boots off in time. I couldn’t even get out of bed to keep my dog from having to go on the carpet – I had to stop. I wasn’t enjoying running anymore”.

 

From there Mottram saw the best tendon specialists on the planet. They all said the same thing – they won’t get better unless you stop. Almost eighteen months later Mottram is back at work and getting close to his best. “It’s still more than twelve months until London. I’m going alright, I’m not flying – but twelve months is a long time. Maybe in 2007 I was going too well before Beijing and the only place I could go was down. Either way, I’ve had my rest and I’m ready to go”.

 

Changes For The Better

 

Arguably the biggest change Mottram has made is the switch in coaches to Chris Wardlaw; a move that Mottram believes is what will take him to the next stage of his career. “Chris and I speak regularly each week. The program is pretty basic; I don’t need someone standing over me at the track. With Chris it is a very different scenario to what I’ve had in the past. It’s refreshing. I decide a lot of the sessions I do. Chris will give me suggestions, I’ll give him feedback and then we agree on what is required – more of a sounding board. I’m really enjoying the relationship”.

 

Many have suggested that Mottram wouldn’t change much from what he had done in the past – but the reality is quite the opposite. “I’d be lying if I said it was the same. The whole point of changing was to change everything. In saying that, its still running. There is still bread and butter type stuff that I’ll always do”.

 

Heading into a full European track season is new territory for Mottram and Wardlaw as they embark on the fine-tuning that comes with racing frequently. “It will be interesting to see how that unfolds. The sessions are not as long as what I was used too. I’m 30 now – I don’t think I need to be doing 10km sessions on the track”.

 

Some of the changes were simple and began with running less.  “I don’t run 180kms a week now, I run 150. I have more rest now – I took two weeks off after World Cross-Country, and I took a week off after National’s. As you get older you have to listen to your body and accept that you can’t run that much without ramifications”.

 

“He’s Back” – World Cross Country

 

The World Cross Country Championships in Spain was the first real test for Mottram back on the world stage. Although things had been going well – his preparation was limited compared to years past. After September’s Great North City Games in Newcastle he had a long rest, then endeavoured on two months of base training at Falls Creek over January and February. This was followed by a 6^th place finish (2^nd Australian) at the Melbourne Track Classic in March in a time of 13:25 that Mottram described as ‘not a bad result’. “Leading into World Cross I thought top 40 would be solid, top 30 would be fantastic – If I got around 20^th that would be a hell of a run. I worked my way through – was conservative the first 5k and then ran them down that second half. I really enjoyed it. I’ve been to World Cross before and gone out through the first kilometre in under 2:30 and then come unstuck. This time I knew my fitness wasn’t where it has been, but I ran to my level and I ran really well”.

 

There’s more to life than just running

 

During his break from the sport, Mottram undertook new challenges – including finishing his University Degree. “I needed the challenge, I needed to get it done. Balance in life is crucial to performance in anything. You don’t realise how single minded you have been until something goes wrong and how much of the other aspects of your life you’ve let go”.

 

Being away from athletics allowed Mottram to get back to his roots. He spent time catching up with friends, family, and doing the things he says that he should have always been doing. “Running at an international level shouldn’t stop you from being a good person, friend, or family member. I may have been lacking it, but now I think I’m in a good spot. Running is going ok – it takes time. This time around I have other things that I enjoy doing that take me away from worrying about how my running is going all the time". 

 

For a while it seemed that all Mottram had was running, which meant when running wasn’t going well, nothing was going well. “That’s what happened after Beijing. It was disappointing. I didn’t perform how I wanted and how other people wanted me too. That’s why I was proactive in making changes and trusting in those changes that I have made". 

 

Mottram is now a balanced person as well as an athlete. He is an Education Ambassador for the Australian Olympic Committee, a member of the IAAF athletes commission, and also works for and is the face of the Adidas school’s Fun-Run, a school based program in Australia and New Zealand that promotes a healthy lifestyle and outdoor activities instead of selling chocolate and junk food for fundraisers. “That’s what I spend my time doing. When I’m in Aussie, I am working until around 4 or 4:30, then back home to run again. Its something I would have never done before. Its good for the sport and its good for the kids – encouraging them to do something healthy instead of sitting in front of the computer all day”.

 

The Next Generation

 

Mottram understands what is needed to get to the highest level in the sport of athletics, but makes no secrets about that fact that his rise was different to most. “If I had the chance I would encourage young aspiring Australian track and field athletes to go to school in America. The system that is in place in America whereby athletes study via their participation in college athletics has a lot going for it and creates opportunities that are often harder to come by on your own. I’m lucky that I was quite good at a young age - but not as many athletes are necessarily going to be at the level I was at that stage. They might get to that point eventually, but may just need a few more years to get there, and the states allows for that. The economy is hard at the moment; some of the best athletes in the world are struggling to get the support required. I think the college system is fantastic”.

 

Athletics is not the most lucrative sport, and many throw in the towel well before their peak, particularly when they leave university - something which Mottram believes needs addressing. “I would encourage people to continue if they enjoy it - that’s the most important thing.  It’s about consistency. If someone can run in the 13:20’s for 5k at University, there is no reason they can’t run in the 13-low range a couple of years later. It’s just figuring out what you do in between. You can get a job – I did it. I worked as a lifeguard, a swim instructor, even in a bar because I wasn’t good enough at first to get paid to just run. The thing is though, John Landy, Herb Elliot, John Walker – they all worked and they ran bloody well”.

 

What does the future hold for Craig Mottram?

 

Mottram has run world class times from the mile to the 10,000m, but is adamant what is in store for him come London 2012. “I want to run the 5k in London – I want to improve on my 8^th from 2004. I can do better than that”.

 

He does however plan to approach next years Olympics differently than the last. The plan is to make the team, then the final, and then reassess. Simply put, he will be breaking it down into steps that are more achievable. “I want to take it more relaxed and have fun. It won’t be all about the Olympics for me next year – it will be about running the best I can every time I step on the line, and see where that places me”.

 

After the London Olympics Mottram will then decide whether to stay on the track or head to the roads. “I want to run a marathon – I’ve never made a big secret about that. I want to get to 30k and see what all the fuss is about. I watch them all the time and it fascinates me seeing someone looking so good to so bad in ten minutes!”

 

As for what really matters – Mottram just wants to focus on keeping his life balanced, getting some good performances out of running, and seeing where he ends up.

 

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Briggs Classic 2009 Men's 5000m (Last 2000m)