[fidotron]

The mention of pacemakers made me wonder if you could have some light marker on the track to show the ideal pace you should be keeping as well.

If you can find the human equivalent of the rabbit for greyhounds then maybe even more could be achieved.

[ad_hockey]

Yep, they have that as well. You can see it in the photo here: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jul/18/josh-kerr-make...

[fidotron]

Aha, thanks!

Do you have any insight into what algorithm it uses? Like a ghost runner of the record pace or something?

[lynx__]

The directors and organizers of the race control what the lights do. Typically they work with a specific athlete or group of athletes to hit a World Record, National Record, or Meet Record pace.

They are almost always even splits, with a consistent pace through the entire race, though this can be adjusted if the runners request it; that is rare though.

They typically have green lights, which is the target pace, and then a set of blue lights ahead of them, which gives a visual indicator of how far ahead a runner is from the green lights.

[nianderwallace]

from https://www.letsrun.com/news/2026/07/chasing-342-inside-josh...

  [Josh Kerr's coach, Danny] Mackey was set to have a meeting with representatives from Wavelight on Tuesday to discuss the pace. He said they have yet to lock in specific splits, but Kerr told LetsRun.com in April that “an even split or a slightly negative split, I think, is the way to do it.”

  3:43.13 mile pace is 55.45 per 400, which would mean 1:50.90 at 800 if they were to go for even splits.

  Mackey says he hopes the pace is pretty even and “hopefully he’s got something left in the end.”

They went through 800m in 1:51.1 according to another comment in this post.

[fidotron]

That link was fascinating, thanks! (Arguably worth a separate submission imo).

[ad_hockey]

I don't know. My knowledge is largely based on the caption of that photo :D

I would guess it's just uniform world record pace, and it's up to the runner to use their own strategy - stay just in touch with the light for the first three laps and overtake it on the fourth, or something.

[rpearl]

these have made significant differences in some WRs recently. Cheptegei's 10000m in particular was set with rock steady even splits compared to the prior record.