Running the tangents

'Cutting corners legally' - that is the way to run your race. In running, a tangent is a line that touches the inside corner of a turn. If you follow the route that is closest to the inside corner of a turn, you will be running the shortest distance in the race. As the image below shows, if you have a left turn followed by a right turn - the shortest distance is the diagonal line that clips the inside of both turns (the red line).

Running the tangents may not be possible in the initial stages of big races like Chicago or New York Marathon. But once the crowds thin out, you can start looking ahead and clipping the inside of the turns.

By some estimates (another super post by DCR) - if you ran the outside of every turn you could add half a mile to your race (more turns, more distance you run)!

Running the tangent.

Here is a short video clip from Dixon's 1983 New York Marathon - he puts the point across very succinctly.

Other than running the inside of turns, he also mentions other pearls of wisdom - such as - 'run your own race'. Watch the video - it is a classic from 40 years go!

Caveat: As a middle to back of the pack triathlete, I do not try the tangent method during the swim or bike portion of a triathlon. The inside turn in a swim can be very crowded and pretty bruising - avoid the crowd, go wide. On the bike, keep to the right of your lane - let the type A folks do the curb hugging. Stay safe.

(Post updated on June 20th, 2023)