A common concept when training in any type of speed sport is lap times, split times, and total times. These concepts are not relegated solely to the field of running; they are equally important in swimming, cycling, car driving, horse racing, and any other sport in which the competitor covers a measured distance.
Sometimes it can be confusing to tell the three apart, so here are some basic definitions so you know what someone is referring to during conversation.
- total time: Total time in front of things is pretty easy to define. It simply tells you how long it took you to get from point A to point B. In a race, this will be the time it took you to get to the finish line. However, it can get a bit trickier when you divide your total time into net time, movement time, and weapon time.
- net time: Net time refers to the time it takes you to run a race from the moment you cross the starting line to the moment you cross the finish line. It is usually measured by an electronic chip or tag worn on the shoe, ankle, or bib number.
- moving time: Movement time refers to how long you were actually in motion during a run or race. It could be as simple as stopping the watch at a crosswalk or if you stop to relieve yourself, or it could be time deducted during a run while being weighed in at an aid station. Very few races will track movement time to use as a way of determining winners.
- gun time: Shot time refers to the time it takes to cross the finish line starting with the sound of the shot, no matter where on the field you started your run and no matter how long it takes you to reach the starting line.
- split time: Your split time is your total time at any point in your race. For example, in a 4-mile race you might have split times of 7:00, 14:00, 9:00, and 28:00 minutes each mile if you were running an even 7:00-minute pace. Your split time would be your total time at each specified waypoint if your race or race ended there and then.
- lap time: Your lap time is the time it takes you to run between splits. In the example above, each of your mile laps would have been 7:00 minutes. Lap time is the time it takes you to go from one stage to the next. The clock starts over for the next lap.
Laps and splits will not always be for the same distance. For example, in a triathlon you would have separate split and lap times for swimming, biking, and running.
In general, though, you’ll most often see mile or kilometer divisions, unless there’s an easier lap to define. On a track, you might have a 400-meter split, and in a pool you’d have a 50-meter split.
During marathons, you can have splits every 5km, and during an ultramarathon, your splits can be at specific aid stations along the course with no standardized distance between each.
Tracking and analyzing split and lap times can help you improve your training and pace yourself during a race, so I recommend keeping track of them during your interval sessions or when you’re reviewing your race strategy for or after a race.
