A Tale of Two Pacing Strategies: Do Younger Male Doubles Athletes Know How to Pace?

Pacing, Pride, and Performance in Men's Doubles

In the world of competitive fitness, youthful exuberance can be a powerful asset. It can also, as the data suggests, be a tactical pitfall. Younger male are known for overestimating their abilities in the heat of the moment, trying to out-do their peers and partners from the very start. I was curious to see if this stereotype held up in the data from the Redline Fitness Games '24, and the results from the Men's Doubles category tell a fascinating story about pacing, age, and strategy.

This chart couldn't be clearer. Look at the green bars representing the `<30` category. They race out of the blocks, on average, to take an early lead on the 'Run'. Meanwhile, the orange bars of the `45+` category show them as the slowest over the first four stations. They seem to be pacing themselves, letting the younger pairs burn hot early on.

But then, the tables completely turn. From the 'Bike' station onwards, the `<30` group becomes the slowest category on **all of the final eight stations!** As my father used to say, "The old dog for the long road." The `30-44` category (green bars) proves to be the most consistent and ultimately the fastest group overall, finding a perfect balance between a strong start and a powerful finish. This pattern strongly suggests that the younger male teams may be mismanaging their energy, leading to a significant drop-off in performance as the race progresses.

A Different Story: The Women's Doubles

Interestingly, on the women's side, there seem to be fewer egos at play, or perhaps just a more consistent pacing strategy across the board. The performance aligns more closely with what one might intuitively expect based on age brackets.

As you can see in Figure 2, the `<30` Women's Doubles teams were, on average, the fastest across nearly every station. The `30-44` group was consistently in the middle, and the `45+` group, while incredibly impressive, was generally the slowest of the three. This shows a more linear performance pattern compared to the dramatic reversal seen in the men's race.

Actionable Learnings for all competitors (But especially the Under-30 Male Athletes)

So, what's the takeaway, especially for the `<30` male doubles teams heading into Redline '25? The data suggests a massive opportunity for improvement not through more strength, but through smarter racing.

• Respect the Full Race: The race isn't won on the first run. Acknowledge that stations like the 'Sled Push Pull' and 'Sandbag Gauntlet' will demand significant energy. Starting the race at 85% effort instead of 95% can leave you with the reserves needed to stay strong at the end.
• Trust Your Partner: In a doubles race, communication is key. A slightly slower start that keeps both partners working efficiently throughout is far better than one partner burning out early and leaving the other to carry the load later in the race.

The data doesn't suggest younger athletes are less fit; it suggests they may be pacing with more pride than strategy. By adopting a more measured approach, similar to the `30-44` category, there's potential to shave minutes off the final time simply by finishing as strongly as you start.