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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/run-negative-split

What is a negative split in a race?

Running the second half faster than the first.

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  1. Running the second half faster than the first ✔
  2. Running the first half faster than the second
  3. Stopping halfway to rest

Why: Many runners start too fast and slow down later, which is a positive split. A negative split means starting a little easier, saving energy and finishing faster than you began.

Huh, didn't know that: Elite marathoners frequently run a slight negative split, according to a 2025 review in Frontiers in Physiology.

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Why did the banana run a negative split? It was saving the best split for last.
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References

Answer: Running the second half faster than the first. Many runners start too fast and slow down later, which is a positive split. A negative split means starting a little easier, saving energy and finishing faster than you began.

  1. Frontiers in Physiology (2025): The physiology and psychology of negative splits www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2025.1639816/full
    the negative split is characterized by a faster second half of the race compared to the first
    Checked 2026-10-12.

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Sports & FitnessIn a survey of 1,300+ marathoners, what best predicted slowing down late in the race?Sports & FitnessIn Mayo Clinic's beginner 5K plan, what is the week one run/walk pattern?Sports & FitnessHow many miles is a 5K race?

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