For much of the second half of the race, Rupp tried to conserve as much energy as possible by drafting off Chelanga, who was blocking a strong southeast wind, which was dropping temperatures near the 40-degree mark.
MY COMMENT: Drafting saves energy- I watched this race and there is no question Chelanga had to work much harder and would have had a much better chance to win had he forced Rupp to lead. There was a point early in the race where Chelanga appeared to slow down and wait for Rupp to take over, but Rupp slowed as well. Then Chelango got impatient and picked it up again. It cost him-that along with his blazing 2:35 first kilometer.
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"The day of the marathon I watched in amazement as he cut all the tangents in Central Park while Smith ran down the middle of the road. The measurement difference between miles 23 to 25 was approximately 50 meters! (tangents vs. middle of the road). It is my opinion that Rod didn't run one step faster - just every step smarter."
–David Katz, well-known expert on marathon course design and measurement recalling Rod Dixon's New York City Marathon victory in 1983.
MY COMMENT: Another no brainer tip- run the shortest distance! I can't count the number of times over the years that I've caught another runner simply because for some stupid reason they ran wide on curves and corners. Without actually cheating, cut those corners as close as you can.
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