Game version
Pace-match pairs: run beside a partner and hold the same easy pace for a count of 60. Swap who sets the pace.
Negative Split Run
Run the second half a little faster than the first by holding back early.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
Set up
Run out for 9 minutes at steady pace.
Core: 60. Beat your own steadiest pace.
- Ages
- 14 and up
- Time
- 20 min
- Players
- Just you
- Space
- Yard or field
- Bring
- Loop, watch
- Level · skill
- Advanced · Pacing
The steps
How it works
- Run out for 9 minutes at steady pace.
- Turn around and come back the same way.
- Try to get home a little quicker than you went out.
- Cool down by walking 3 minutes.
Coaching point
Hold back, then bring it home.
Safety: Drink water and eat a meal or snack before and after, run in the cool part of the day, and stop and tell an adult if you feel dizzy or sick. Thunder or lightning: go inside now and wait 30 minutes after the last one.
Make it fun
Play it, don't drill it
Challenge
Pick a level: Less (30 counts), Core (60), More (90). Beat your own steadiest pace.
Story
You are a metronome keeping a steady beat on the trail.
My best
Beat your own count
Beat your own steadiest pace. Only your own number counts: today against last time.
Practice makes progress
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