The specific speed or effort level an athlete plans to maintain during a competition to achieve their goal time. This pace is practiced during training to develop familiarity and confidence with the target intensity.
'Race' comes from Old Norse 'rás' meaning running or rush, combined with 'pace' from Latin 'passus.' The concept became formalized in the 20th century as competitive athletics adopted more scientific training approaches and split timing became standard.
Race-pace training is like muscle memory for speed - elite marathoners practice their goal pace so extensively that they can hit their splits within seconds even without looking at their watch. The legendary Haile Gebrselassie was famous for maintaining incredibly consistent race-pace throughout entire marathons!
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