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Lesson 2 of 12
  • Year 7

Running for distance and understanding pace

I can maintain a steady pace over an extended time and/or distance.

Lesson 2 of 12
New
New
  • Year 7

Running for distance and understanding pace

I can maintain a steady pace over an extended time and/or distance.

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These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Move: running over different distances or times requires different styles and paces to achieve your best performance.
  2. Move: starting an extended run at a pace which is sustainable will avoid creating an oxygen debt and tiring.
  3. Think: calculating how fast you can run and for how long will help you to select the right pace.
  4. Feel: listening to your body during extended running and striving to keep going demonstrates self-motivation
  5. 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.


To help you plan your year 7 physical education lesson on: Running for distance and understanding pace, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

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.
Teacher tip

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

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
How do the arms and legs affect your sprint technique?

negative affect
work separately
Correct answer: work together

Q2.
Which distance would 75% of your maximum pace suit most?

marathon
Correct answer: 800m
100m

Q3.
How can we give ourselves extra motivation in running?

Correct answer: set a goal
ignore the task
get distracted

Q4.
Which body part moves from hip to lip in good sprinting technique?

knees
elbows
Correct answer: hands

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
What does an oxygen debt from starting too fast cause?

Correct answer: fatigue later on
burst of energy
the perfect start

Q2.
What are two things to consider when calculating pace?

weather and temperature
Correct answer: time and distance
people and location

Q3.
What action would you take if your body tells you it can’t sustain the pace you’re using?

stop participating
carry on regardless
Correct answer: adjust your pace

Q4.
What can contributing to a team effort give you a feeling of?

sense of isolation
Correct answer: sense of belonging
sense of humour