This article was written by Christa Sgobba and provided by our partners at Men’s Health
If you’re looking for an easy way to slash your time, just make it a competition with that person who always finishes a hair in front of you. Having a racing rival can make you run significantly faster, research from New York University discovered.
The study found that runners who competed in a race with at least one rival present cut almost eight seconds per mile off their pace—which would allow them to finish a 5-K nearly 25 seconds sooner.
Why the surge in speed? Competing against someone you are used to comparing yourself to increases the psychological stakes of the race’s outcome, says study author Gavin Kilduff, Ph.D.
“This in turn plays out with a higher motivation to try harder to win,” he says.
If you’re new to running—or haven’t really picked out that one person who continually smokes you at the finish line—you can pick a “rival” at the start of the race to mimic the benefits of competing against a longstanding opponent.
Try to choose another person who’s similar in age but slightly faster in pace: The best goals are challenging, but still within your reach, says Kilduff.
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