In-Race Mind Games: How Being Passed vs. Passing Others Affects Your Pacing

The Impact of Overtaking on Pacing

A 2021 Stanford study monitored 200 amateur runners and found:

• When actively overtaking others: Pacing sped up by an average of 5-8 sec/km (lasting 30-60 seconds)
• When being overtaken by others: Pacing slowed down by an average of 3-7 sec/km (lasting 60-120 seconds)
• Heart rate drift: Heart rate rose by 3-5 bpm within 30 seconds of being overtaken

Overtaking isn’t just a change in position—it’s a chain reaction from psychology → physiology.

Why Being Overtaken Slows You Down

Physiological Mechanism: Sympathetic Nervous System Response

When overtaken, the brain interprets it as a “failure signal.” Adrenaline briefly spikes, but then a “protective mechanism” kicks in: reduced motor cortex output, decreased neuromuscular recruitment, and pacing naturally drops.

Psychological Mechanism: Self-Doubt

Thoughts like “Am I too tired?” or “If he can run that fast, maybe I overestimated myself” are most deadly in the later stages. Once you enter the doubt loop, a pacing collapse is inevitable.

Visual Mechanism: Misjudged Depth Perception and Speed Sensation

When overtaken, the other runner’s back “disappears quickly” before your eyes, causing you to misjudge your own pace. You’re actually still at 5:00/km, but it feels like 5:30/km.

The Energy Cost of Actively Overtaking

Overtaking someone isn’t free:

• Acceleration phase: consumes an extra 5-10% energy
• Maintaining the new pace: heart rate +3-5 bpm
• The “show-off effect”: feeling embarrassed to slow down immediately after overtaking, continuing at high intensity for 1-2K

For amateur runners, every person overtaken after 30K could cause them to hit the wall 2-3K earlier.

Psychological Anchors: How to Stay Unaffected

Anchor 1: Execute Your Own Pacing Plan

Write out a “split pacing chart” before the race and stick it on your watch:

When overtaking or being overtaken, remind yourself: “I run my plan, not someone else’s.”

Anchor 2: Consistently Monitor Your Own Data

Don’t look at others—look at yourself:

• Check heart rate at every 1K lap (not who’s overtaking me)
• Check overall average every 5K
• Confirm fueling execution at aid stations

Anchor 3: Reframe the Meaning of Being Overtaken

Every time you’re overtaken, tell yourself:

• “He might be in a pace group; if I follow, I’ll blow up too”
• “He might have started in a later corral and is naturally faster”
• “He might not have hit the wall yet; I’ll stay steady first”

Reinterpret the “failure signal” as an “information signal.”

Anchor 4: Breathing Rhythm

When the psychological battle begins, immediately execute the 3-2 breathing method: inhale for 3 steps, exhale for 2 steps. Pull your attention away from external competition and back to your body’s rhythm.

The Right Timing for Actively Overtaking

It’s not that you can’t overtake—you just need to pick the right moment:

Timing 1: After 35K

At this point, most runners are slowing down. If you maintain your pace, you’ll “naturally overtake” them. No need to actively accelerate—it saves energy and boosts morale.

Timing 2: At the Top of an Uphill

Others decelerate noticeably on climbs. If you climb steadily, you’ll naturally overtake them at the crest. Use the terrain to your advantage rather than accelerating yourself.

Timing 3: The Final 1K Before the Finish

In the sprint phase, all reservations are released. Overtaking here is a “finish-line tactic,” not “mid-race expenditure.”

The Follower Strategy: Find a Target to Draft

Reverse approach: deliberately find a runner who’s 10-20 sec/km faster than you and follow them. Benefits:

• Draft off their wind resistance (can save 5-7% energy when windy)
• No need to think about pacing (just follow)
• Psychologically “having company” (reduces fatigue sensation)

Drawback: if they collapse, they might drag you down too. It’s recommended to break away at 35K and accelerate on your own.

Conclusion

The “overtaking/being overtaken” in the later stages of a marathon is a test of psychological stability. The strongest runner isn’t the fastest—it’s the one “least affected.” Master your psychological anchors and pacing collapses can be reduced by 50%.

Related Reading

• Pacing Psychology: Why We Always Run the First Half Too Fast
• Running Community Psychology: The Psychological Support of Pacer-Runner Interaction
• The Comparison Psychology of Road Running: How to Stop Comparing Pace with Others
• The Social Comparison Trap: Mental Health Boundaries in Instagram Runner Culture