Pacing Strategies for Success

Unit: Running Towards Well-being

Lesson 3 of 5

Duration: 30 minutes Class Size: 25 Year 3 students

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Understand and apply basic pacing strategies for running by distinguishing between sprinting and maintaining a steady pace.
• Identify their own comfortable and sustainable running speed through practice drills.
• Demonstrate awareness of how pacing contributes to endurance and overall well-being.

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Curriculum Links

Health and Physical Education Learning Area:

• Strand: Relationships with Other People – Movement Concepts and Motor Skills
• Level: Level 2 (Year 3)
• Achievement Objective:
• Movement Skills & Concepts: Use movement concepts and strategies to develop and refine motor skills in a range of physical activities and contexts.
• Develop running techniques focusing on body control, pacing, and energy management appropriate to different running activities.

Key Competencies:

• Managing Self: Students regulate their effort and pace to complete a running task successfully.
• Participating and Contributing: Students engage actively in group activities and support peers in understanding pacing.

Well-being Focus:

• Encourages physical activity as a means of promoting personal well-being and builds students’ confidence in their physical capabilities.

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Equipment and Space

• Flat running space (field or gymnasium)
• Cones or markers for distances
• Stopwatch or timer
• Whistle
• Visual pacing cues (optional, e.g., numbered cones for incremental speed targets)

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Lesson Sequence

Time	Activity	Description	Teaching Focus & NZ Curriculum Links
0-5 min	Introduction & Warm-Up	- Gather students and explain today’s focus: learning how to pace themselves when running.	Activate prior knowledge about running and energy. Build interest in pacing for wellbeing.
		- Lead a dynamic warm-up: light jogging around the area, followed by stretching.	Warm-up muscles and prepare the body for activity, highlighting the importance of prep.
5-12 min	Pacing Demonstration & Discussion	- Teacher models two types of running: sprint (short bursts at full effort) and steady pace (controlled speed).	Explicit teaching of movement skills: difference between sprinting and pacing.
		- Discuss why pacing is helpful: helps maintain energy, avoids early tiredness, and improves overall running success.	Link to concepts of endurance and personal wellbeing from the NZ Curriculum PE strand.
12-25 min	Pacing Drills	Drill 1: Cone Runs - students run short distances (20m) at full sprint to feel speed.	Develop motor skills; focus on body control in sprinting.
		Drill 2: Steady Runs - students run longer distances (50m) focusing on a comfortable, steady pace.	Practice pacing strategy: finding a sustainable speed to avoid exhaustion.
		Drill 3: Mixed Runs - alternate between sprinting and pacing over 40m, encouraging self-monitoring of effort.	Consolidate understanding of pacing by contrasting speeds and relating effort to feeling.
25-29 min	Reflection and Sharing	- While walking, ask students to share how they felt running at sprint pace versus steady pace.	Encourage reflection to develop self-awareness and emotional well-being related to physical activity.
		- Highlight student insights about pacing and perseverance.	Reinforces learning; supports managing self and contributing key competencies.
29-30 min	Cool Down & Wrap-Up	- Lead students in light walking and simple stretches.	Promote recovery. Summarise main ideas: pacing supports running success and wellbeing.

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Differentiation & Inclusion

• Offer support to students who may need encouragement or alternate pacing distances.
• Allow students to choose their pacing target within safe parameters to foster autonomy.
• Use visual signals (cones, timers) to aid students with different learning needs.
• Encourage peer support and inclusive team attitudes during drills.

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Assessment & Feedback

• Formative Assessment:

• Teacher observes students' ability to maintain a steady pace versus sprinting during drills.

• Questions during reflection to assess understanding of pacing concepts and self-regulation.

• Success Criteria:

• Student can run at sprint and steady pace distinctly.

• Student can identify their comfortable pace and explain why pacing matters.

• Active participation and ability to reflect on physical sensations related to pacing.

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Teaching Tips & Ideas to Impress

• Use storytelling: frame pacing like an adventure where “energy is a treasure” to be carefully spent.
• Introduce a "Pacing Buddy" system where students encourage each other to find and keep their ideal running speed.
• Integrate simple measuring: time sprints and paced runs using a stopwatch and compare times to build number sense linked to speed.
• Use Māori whakataukī (proverbs) about endurance or perseverance to connect cultural well-being concepts with physical activity.
• End with mindful breathing or a calming technique linking physical activity with overall well-being.

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This lesson integrates the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum emphasis on explicit skill development, student reflection, and linking physical activity to well-being, making learning engaging and holistic for Year 3 students. It aligns with curriculum competencies and achievement objectives that promote self-management and physical literacy through practical, fun activities.