I'm not answering the question, but I'd like to pace sometime but I don't trust myself to do it on my own so 2 would make sense for me.
Go figure
If you have a running store or local running club that's a great way to get to do pacing. I had wanted to too, but didn't know how I would do it until we got our new running store and I started doing their group runs. This year we're already signed up to pace 4 halves, and maybe a full - fun stuff!
Trying to find some more hay to restock the barn
Yes, I've noticed that around here as well. Sometimes the pacers are provided by a LRS, and I've seen other times where they've advertised the need for pacers right on the race website. I'll look into that some day.
Wow. Some folks acting as pacers are going to have to run fairly hard if they are only 15-20 seconds off their PR pace. I have a 7:12 pace marathon PR and I'd be uncomfortable pacing anything faster than a 3:30 group which is an 8:00 pace. I'd think pacers should be running at an effort that is fairly easy and leaves them the ability to talk to the folks they are pacing. A marathon at a 7:30 pace would require a fair amount of concentration on my part, I wouldn't be doing a whole lot of talking throughout, and I likely wouldn't be saying a word after Mile 20.
Short term goal: 17:59 5K
Mid term goal: 2:54:59 marathon
Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life. (I started running at age 45).
Proud Aussie
In a couple of my marathons so far, there have been 2 pacers for each pace group. The first runs to gun time, and the second to chip time, so the gap between the two of them is always the difference that it takes to cross the start line. We tend not to have tens of thousands of runners, so it's rarely more than a minute or two between the two pacers.
I was totally pissed at the 3:15 pacer at my last marathon, as he took it out WAY faster than what he should have, and then slowed considerably to stay on track. It was nearly 5 miles after I let him go before I caught up to him after realizing at 2.5kms that he was way ahead of pace. I'm sure I burned way too much in those first couple of Kms. (My problem...not his).
He finished spot on time, but it was 3 minutes ahead of me, and I wonder if we hadn't gone out so hard from the gun if I'd have had enough left in the tank to finish with him or not.
I should have trusted myself, and run my race not his, but these are valuable lessons to learn!
Goal: BQ or Bust. (Done: BQ -5mins July 2014)
Selecting new goal.........