“No human is limited.” – Eliud Kipchoge
Pacesetters are the people that run with a runner either at the beginning or throughout the race to keep them at a steady pace. This is typically done when a runner is trying to break a record.
Pacesetters were needed when Eliud Kipchoge, at age thirty-four, ran a marathon (26.2 miles or a little over 42 kilometers) in less than two hours. Kipchoge had forty-one pacesetters to accomplish a goal of this magnitude. They helped to shield him from wind and rotated every five kilometers or 3.1 miles. They also were the ones that kept running at a pace of just under 4:35 per mile to reach the finish line in time.
If you don’t understand the true magnitude of this accomplishment. It’s thought that only the top 2% of athletes can run a marathon in less than three hours. It’is thought to have been impossible to run one in less than two. Kipchoge proved the doubters wrong though when he crossed the finish line at one hour, fifty-nine minutes, and forty seconds. This would not be possible without his pacesetters. The ones encouraging him to keep going at a pace that seems impossible to manage for that long.
Conclusion
I challenge you to take a second to think about the people in your life who are your “pacesetters”. The ones that push you to do more, to have consistent good habits and more. The people that pop into your mind when asked the question, who made you who are you today? We all have them, it’s up to us to find the top-notch ones. You don’t have to look far to find a few bad people in your life and then fall down a slippery slope. So, it’s up to us to stay diligent about finding our tribe of brilliant individuals.
You need your pacesetters but it’s up to you to find the good ones. So, who are you going to cross that finish line with?