Russell D.
Larsen
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
II
The current popularity of running in America (estimates
suggest as many as 25 million men and women run for fun
and fitness) was bound to inspire the analysis of running
as a rate process. Joe Henderson, consulting editor of Runner's
World, in a recent commentary' has strongly stated his
preference for the all-inclusive word "running" and would like
to see the word "jogging" abolished. We will use the former
word exclusively in accordance with this attempt to stan-
dardize nomenclature.
The consideration of running as a rate process has several
advantaees for a student studying chemical kinetics for the
first time and for other non-k&e&ists who, like the author,
lack a feeling for rates of reaction lower than first-order.
zero-orde;running-running a t a constant speed-is a good
first approximation to actual recreational running as well as
long-distance strategy. Clearly, runners rarely maintain a
constant rate of speed except over certain intervals of their
run. The early portion is usually the slower-paced warm-up;
the best running is in the middle portion; and the last part is
either a relatively fast sprint or else is run much slower due
to fatigue.
The familiar chemical kinetic rate equations can be used
to show that satisfactory running times are characterized by
rate laws that are close to zero-order for each class of runner.
An individual runner or runners of similar ability may be
defined in terms of a rate constant. For example, a nominal
"6-minute miler" can, to achieve this averagepace, run at a
constant, zero-order rate using a 6-minute mile rate constant.
Orders greater than zerogive longer running times; orders less
than %e are probahly acceptable to the goal of most run-
ners.
Zero-Order Running
Consider, first, the kinetic implications of a constant run-
ning rate. I t is convenient to suppose that the running takes
place on an indoor %o or 1' s mile track. Serious runners scorn
such arenas but during Michigan winters these tracks, like
Spring ring-around-the-reservoirin New York City, have
certain advantage^.^
As an illustration of a zero-order process, it is convenient
to consider running on a '11o mile track (10 laps per mile).
Suppose that a runner chooses to run 40 laps or 4 miles on this
track. Let L he the number of laps to go to the end. Clearly,
L will decrease with time in a manner proportional to some
power of the number of laps to be run.
Zero-order (constant) running is defined by the rate expres-
sions
- dL
dt
=k - u (velocity)
and
L=Lo-kt
I t is easy to see that the half-life in this case is just
'Henderson, J., Runner's World, 13. I6 (1978).
Van Doom, J., New York, 11.42 (1878).
The Kinetics of Running
Lo is the initial condition-total laps to he run at t = 0;in this
illustration. Lo = 40. "
The decikink facing the runner are how far (Lo) and how
fast. The decision of how fast may he decided by picking either
a rate constant, k, or a half-life, t112. More naturally, arunner
considers the total length of running time available (earlv in
morning, during lunchhour, after dinner, etc.), then chooses
a distance, and then estimates a running rate. Analytically,
this is equivalent to solving an IRE such as eqn. (2) when L
= 0 (no more laps to be run) and Lo is given. Moreover, the
IRE, eqn. (2), may he used to find the number of laps togo,
L, given the rate constant, k, and the elapsed time, t. Simi-
larly, one can compare runners with different rate constants,
say k l = 1lap min-' and kz = 2 laps min-', by comparing their
half-lives. In the above example, the 10-min miler (kl) has a
20 rnin half-life compared to a 10 rnin half-life for the 5-min
miler (kz). Generally, such comparisons are not this obvious
for more realistic running rates.
FirsCOrder Running
Despite being unrealistic, it is instructive to consider the
implications of a first-order running rate. The rate equations
are
dL
Rate = -- = kL
dt
The number of laps to go, L, as a function of time is an expo-
nential function.
Suppose as illustration, that Lo = 100 = 10 mi on a 1 ' 10 mi
track. Consider an average running rate of 10 min mi-' for the
first 50 laps. Thus, after 50 min, a runner is half finished.
There are still 50 lans to eo. The half-life is 50 min: therefore
k = 0.0138 min-I. lithatiate constant is maintained from the
beginning, it is possible to determine the laps to go after 10
rnin elapsed running time from the second of eqn. (3); viz.,
there are 82 laps to go after 10 min. Note that in accordance
with this exponential first-order attenuation a first-order
runner with a 50 min half-life will run at a 1.3 la^ min-I or 7.7
rnin mi-' pace for the first 10 min. The average pace after
successive 10 min intervals map be computed easilv. After
1000 min there is still 0.0001 lapto go andthe averagd pace is
now 0.10 lap min-' or 100 min mi-'! It is obvious that first-
order runners never complete their goal (exponentially in-
creasing fatigue?).
Second-order running is even more discouraging. If the first
50 laps still take only 1 half-life (defined as 50 min), 75 laps
takes 3 half-lives (150 rnin). The rate constant k is now given
(2) k=-- 1 - 1
= 2 X 10W laps-' min-'
Lot1/* (100 laps) (50 min)
Note the units of k and the smaller value of k compared to
zero- and first-order processes with the same half-life. For
second-order running 87.5 laps will take 7 half-lives (350
rnin!!). This corresponds now to a 4 min lap-' or a 40 min mi-'
Volume 56. Number 10, October 1979 / 651
pace!! Actual running rates must be somewhat between zero-
and first-order processes. Let us briefly consider, therefore,
the implication of fractional-order running processes.
Fractional-order Running
Fractional-order rate processes are, of course, possible
where the order n is less than unity. For an n-th order process
given by
the IRE is
Examination of the general half-life expression3 for order
n processes where n # 1,which is given by
k t l / z = C,Lol-" (6)
where, C, = 2"-I -1ln - 1,shows that for n =
0.54L
k = 314o
t1/2
when, Lo = 100 and t = 50 min, k = 0.341 laps" min-I. The
total running time for a '14-order process is, in this case
4 run the first 13.1 miles in 65 min.
%LO
= -= 123 min
t,,~
k 114
which corresponds to a 12.3 min mi-' average pace.
For a given half-life, which is one way to classify a runner
as a zero-order m-minute miler, the rate constant approaches
the n = 0 value as the order approaches zero. A runner so
classified would not wish to deviate appreciably fiom the
zero-order values. For example, a 'Ile-order 6-miu miler is, in
reality, about a 6'14 minute miler. Alternatively, a 61' 4 minute
miler is a zero-order runner defined in terms of a zero-order
law for which the rate constant is a dependent variable given
by
k =-Lo-L (7)
t other (usually) uncontrolled factors such as altitude of run,
Utkins, P. W.,"Physical Chemistry," W. H. Freeman andCo., San
Francisco, 1978, p. 860.
'Runner's World, 13,122 (1978).
652 1 Journal of Chemical Education
In this case, Lo = 100, L = 0 and tmal = 62.5; thus, a 6I14 min
miler obeys a zero-order rate law with k = 1.6 laps min-' = 6%
rnin mi-'.
Boston Marathon 1978
Hill Rt,dgrrs, the winner of the 1978 Roston Marathon, ran
the 2621d73 miles in 2:10:13, a 4.9663 nlin mi-] averare - Dace.
.
Rodger's zero-order rate constant, given by eqn. (71, is merely
the reciprocal of this pace or 0.2013 mi min-'. Note that a 5
min mile zero-order rate cmstant is 0.20 nli min-I. The 10th
place finisher, l'om kleminn. ran in ':I444 or 5.1388 min mi-'.
Rodger's and Fleming's rate constants differ by 3.3%. The
times of the top 158 male runners under 230 are given in
Runner's W ~ r l dThe . ~ 158th runner ran a 5.7211 min mile
with k = 0.1748 mi min-'. The top woman runner, Gale Bar-
ron, finished in 24452 corresponding to a 6.2881 min mile
pace with a rate constant k = 0.1590 mi min-'. Clearly, each
runner has R different ratr constant and halt-life It is
tempting, howe\,er, to arbitrarily ronsider a fixed half-life of
.
6): min for the 1978 Boston Marathon. This halt-lire is.. ore-
sumably, applicable to the top 10 finishers. The presumption
is that this group (and perhaps the top 100 runners) could all
On this assum~tion.Rodeer's time of 130.216 min nearlv
follows a order rate law, whereas Fleming3-s tenth place
'
134.733 rnin is between a '16th and ,,nd order rate.'l'he times
for the top 100 male fmish&~all correspond to rate laws below
'hth order.
It is important to emphasize that we have modeled running
data with certain analytic expressions which characterize these
data in terms of simple parameters and variables; viz., dura-
tion, distance, speed. Random accelerations and decelerations
-
are averaeed out hv such "deterministic" modeliue. " Actual
chemical rate data and running data are implicitly stochastic
in that experimental rate laws are determined by appropriate
statistical parameter estimation using linear least-squares
olots of such data. The reasons for duration and soeed involve
humiditv. temnerature. condition of track. and uns~ecified
(and us;hly unknownjpsychological and pbysiologkal fac-
tors.