{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,2]],"date-time":"2026-04-02T05:41:57Z","timestamp":1775108517462,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,2]],"date-time":"2026-04-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1775088000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Physiol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>Pacing strategy is a central determinant of endurance running performance. While elevation profile is known to influence pacing in trail and mountain running, its potential role in road races characterized by moderate elevation variability remains insufficiently examined. This longitudinal case report aimed to explore how differences in course elevation characteristics were associated with pacing patterns and performance outcomes in an elite half-marathon runner. Ten official half-marathon performances completed over a four-year period (2014\u20132017) by a single elite male athlete were retrospectively analyzed. Elevation-related metrics (total ascent, total descent, and elevation range) and split times (0\u201310 km and 11\u201321 km) were examined descriptively to characterize pacing patterns, classified as positive or negative split. Five races were classified as positive split and five as negative split. Finishing times ranged from 69.18 to 87.05\u00a0min, and elevation range varied between 26.3 and 116.8\u00a0m. The fastest performance occurred during a negative split on a near-flat course; however, pacing classification and elevation characteristics were not uniformly aligned with performance outcomes across races. Within comparable elevation ranges, both positive and negative pacing profiles were observed, accompanied by substantial variation in finishing times. These findings indicate that moderate elevation variability may interact with pacing regulation in a context-dependent manner rather than acting as an isolated determinant of performance. The results highlight the multifactorial nature of pacing behavior in elite half-marathon competition and underscore the value of individualized longitudinal analyses for understanding performance execution in real-world racing conditions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fphys.2026.1793257","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,2]],"date-time":"2026-04-02T04:16:02Z","timestamp":1775103362000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Case report: Elevation variability and pacing regulation in an elite half-marathon runner: a longitudinal case study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Gerasimos V.","family":"Grivas","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Physical Education and Sports, Division of Humanities and Political Sciences, Hellenic Naval Academy","place":["Athens, Greece"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Walaa Jumah","family":"Alkasasbeh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physical Education, School of Sports Sciences, The University of Jordan","place":["Amman, Jordan"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"239","DOI":"10.2165\/00007256-200838030-00004","article-title":"Describing and understanding pacing strategies during athletic competition","volume":"38","author":"Abbiss","year":"2008","journal-title":"Sports Med."},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2083","DOI":"10.1007\/s40279-020-01355-z","article-title":"Downhill running: What are the effects and how can we adapt? A narrative review","volume":"50","author":"Bontemps","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sports Med. Auckl. Nz"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"537","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jshs.2020.06.011","article-title":"Pacing profiles and tactical behaviors of elite runners","volume":"10","author":"Casado","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Sport Health Sci."},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/medicina60020218","article-title":"Running variability in marathon\u2014evaluation of the pacing variables","volume":"60","author":"Cuk","year":"2024","journal-title":"Med. (Mex.)"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2196\/46650","article-title":"Pacing variation in multistage ultramarathons: Internet-based cross-sectional study","volume":"7","author":"Fariod","year":"2023","journal-title":"JMIR Form. Res."},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"77","DOI":"10.2165\/00007256-199417020-00001","article-title":"Pacing strategy and athletic performance","volume":"17","author":"Foster","year":"1994","journal-title":"Sports Med."},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1457","DOI":"10.1007\/s11332-022-00945-w","article-title":"Performance prediction, pacing profile and running pattern of elite 1-h track running events","volume":"18","author":"Girardi","year":"2022","journal-title":"Sport Sci. Health"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fphys.2026.1741125","article-title":"Developing negative split pacing in endurance athletes: practical guidelines and training models","volume":"17","author":"Grivas","year":"2026","journal-title":"Front. Physiol."},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1189","DOI":"10.1080\/02640414.2014.988742","article-title":"Pacing profiles and pack running at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships","volume":"33","author":"Hanley","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Sports Sci."},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1675","DOI":"10.1080\/02640414.2015.1132841","article-title":"Pacing, packing and sex-based differences in Olympic and IAAF World Championship marathons","volume":"34","author":"Hanley","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Sports Sci."},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fphys.2017.00118","article-title":"The science of racing against opponents: Affordance competition and the regulation of exercise intensity in head-to-head competition","volume":"8","author":"Hettinga","year":"2017","journal-title":"Front. Physiol."},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2191","DOI":"10.1249\/MSS.0b013e3181a8d553","article-title":"The Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run: participation and performance trends","volume":"41","author":"Hoffman","year":"2009","journal-title":"Med. Sci. Sports Exerc."},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"449","DOI":"10.1123\/ijspp.2024-0390","article-title":"Pacing strategy and resulting performance of elite trail runners: Insights from the 2023 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships","volume":"20","author":"Ja\u00e9n-Carrillo","year":"2025","journal-title":"Int. J. Sports Physiol. Perform."},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"209","DOI":"10.2147\/OAJSM.S38599","article-title":"Factors affecting the regulation of pacing: current perspectives","volume":"5","author":"Mauger","year":"2014","journal-title":"Open Access J. Sports Med."},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1039","DOI":"10.1152\/japplphysiol.01177.2001","article-title":"Energy cost of walking and running at extreme uphill and downhill slopes","volume":"93","author":"Minetti","year":"2002","journal-title":"J. Appl. Physiol. Bethesda Md 1985"},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"10780","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-022-14868-6","article-title":"Consistency of pacing profile according to performance level in three different editions of the Chicago, London, and Tokyo marathons","volume":"12","author":"Oficial-Casado","year":"2022","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2023.1273451","article-title":"The pacing differences in performance levels of marathon and half-marathon runners","volume":"14","author":"Ristanovi\u0107","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0065596","article-title":"Alterations of neuromuscular function after the world\u2019s most challenging mountain ultra-marathon","volume":"8","author":"Saugy","year":"2013","journal-title":"PloS One"},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.heliyon.2024.e36760","article-title":"Pacing strategies in marathons: A systematic review","volume":"10","author":"Sha","year":"2024","journal-title":"Heliyon"},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2283","DOI":"10.1242\/jeb.066332","article-title":"The role of elastic energy storage and recovery in downhill and uphill running","volume":"215","author":"Snyder","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Exp. Biol."},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.24985\/ijass.2013.25.1.11","article-title":"A longitudinal case study of the training of the 2012 European 1500m track champion","volume":"25","author":"Tjelta","year":"2013","journal-title":"IJASSInternational J. Appl. Sports Sci."},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bjsm.2009.057562","article-title":"The physiological regulation of pacing strategy during exercise: a critical review","volume":"43","author":"Tucker","year":"2009","journal-title":"Br. J. Sports Med."},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"615","DOI":"10.1007\/s40279-016-0605-y","article-title":"Biomechanics and physiology of uphill and downhill running","volume":"47","author":"Vernillo","year":"2017","journal-title":"Sports Med. Auckl. NZ"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Physiology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fphys.2026.1793257\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,2]],"date-time":"2026-04-02T04:16:06Z","timestamp":1775103366000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fphys.2026.1793257\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,2]]},"references-count":23,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fphys.2026.1793257"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fphys.2026.1793257","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-042X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-042X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,2]]},"article-number":"1793257"}}