Paced to perfection: Exploring the potential impact of WaveLight Technology in athletics

Athletics is in the midst of a technological revolution, which has had a major impact on endurance running performance. Since 2016, most men’s and women’s world records, from the 5000 m to the Marathon have been broken, while the all-time list of fastest performances has been recalibrated. While much emphasis has been placed on the introduction of the so-called ‘super-shoe’ technology, other innovations may have contributed to these improvements. For instance, when Eliud Kipchoge completed the marathon in under 2-hours in 2019, his race-kit and the course were carefully designed (i.e., long-straight sections and minimal undulations/ curves), but a lesser appreciated innovation was the pacing device that was used. The use of pacing lights represented a key factor in Kipchoge’s performance, and this approach to pacing was translated to international track athletics during 2020. This translation of technology coincided with world record performances in the Men’s 5000 m and 10000 m, and the Women’s 5000 m.