Running for distance and understanding pace
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can maintain a steady pace over an extended time and/or distance.
Key learning points
- Move: running over different distances or times requires different styles and paces to achieve your best performance.
- Move: starting an extended run at a pace which is sustainable will avoid creating an oxygen debt and tiring.
- Think: calculating how fast you can run and for how long will help you to select the right pace.
- Feel: listening to your body during extended running and striving to keep going demonstrates self-motivation
- Connect: contributing to a team effort and encouraging team mates can foster a sense of belonging.
Keywords
Calculate - determine the best pace considering how far you are running and how much time you want to take
Pace - the speed at which you are running
Sustainable - a speed that you can keep up with over the entire distance
Common misconception
Pupils start long distance running too fast through a mixture of excitement, copying each other and overestimating the pace they can maintain.
Emphasise the need to calculate and find a suitable pace and consider how sustainable a fast pace is going to be.
Teacher tip
If you know your group well enough before the lesson, have the teams for the 10 minute run pre-arranged to save time and ensure they are as equal as possible. Equipment is adaptable: if no track, mark one with cones, if no tag belts, use bibs tucked in (sides) waistband.
Equipment
whistle, stack of cones (if no track), bibs of four colours, rugby belts and tags
Content guidance
Risk assessment required - physical activity
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Prior knowledge starter quiz
4 Questions
Q1.How do the arms and legs affect your sprint technique?
Q2.Which distance would 75% of your maximum pace suit most?
Q3.How can we give ourselves extra motivation in running?
Q4.Which body part moves from hip to lip in good sprinting technique?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What does an oxygen debt from starting too fast cause?
Q2.What are two things to consider when calculating pace?
Q3.What action would you take if your body tells you it can’t sustain the pace you’re using?
Q4.What can contributing to a team effort give you a feeling of?
To help you plan your 7 physical education lesson on: Running for distance and understanding pace, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 physical education lesson on: Running for distance and understanding pace, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom.
Explore more key stage 3 physical education lessons from the Athletics: run, jump, throw and officiate unit, dive into the full secondary physical education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.