To purists, rabbit-free racing is real racing. Pat Butcher makes that case in his book “The Perfect Distance,” which details the rivalry between the milers Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett. Pacers, Butcher writes, are ruining athletics “because they are effectively being paid to lose.” A new phenomenon? Hardly. Butcher’s book was published in 2005.
In other words, pacers are not going anywhere — especially in the current era of super spikes and super tracks, twin pieces of technology that have helped milers run even faster. Athletes want to chase records. Fans want to watch them do the unthinkable. And meet directors are happy to oblige.
“It’s so much easier to run behind someone to take the edge off mentally and physically,” said Mark Coogan, an Olympic marathoner and the coach of Team New Balance Boston. “If you have a good pacer, you can try to relax for as long as possible before you have to take the race on yourself.”