My favorite part of a race is the final kick. As soon as I have the finish line in sight, I like to take off in a full sprint. I usually can steal a few places by flying past runners coasting into the finish.

The last race I ran, my wife said it looked like I was “running heavy”. She said the other runners were gliding, and I was pounding the pavement. I know I feel more animated and my arms and legs may be going akimbo since I am pushing as hard and fast as I can go in a short distance.

Should I have a more graceful and efficient gait for the final .1 miles of a 5k? Can I go as fast and look like a gazelle instead of a tasmanian devil?

Maybe if I find a more fluid stride for the final stretch I can elongate that sprint session and catch more runners along the way.

Liberty 5K. I had to sprint to catch my buddy Mario.

Liberty 5K. I had to sprint to catch my buddy Mario.

Post any tips or advice you may have in the comments below.