Five-Meter Shadow: Partner Fartlek
In pairs, a leader runs freely changing pace and direction while the shadow follows, always staying about five meters behind. It builds aerobic endurance with pace changes, distance perception, and focus.
How to play
- Mark a 40 x 30 m area with cones. Pair students up and demonstrate the 5 m gap: about 6 or 7 long steps or the width of two track lanes (2 min).
- The leader moves around the area alternating jogging, fast running, and walking, with no sudden change lasting more than 5 seconds. The shadow follows at 5 m, matching the pace.
- Block one: 3 min. Every 30 to 40 seconds the teacher blows the whistle: everyone freezes and the pair steps off the gap to check if it was 5 m (give or take one step). If so, the shadow earns a point.
- Switch roles for block two: 3 min. Jog easily for 1 min between blocks.
- Blocks three and four: 3 min each with a new rule. The leader must include at least two long 10-second surges that the shadow has to hang with.
- One-minute wrap-up: each pair totals its points and talks about which pace changes were hardest to follow.
Rules
- Leaders may not stop dead or make sharp cuts that could cause collisions.
- On the whistle, everyone comes to a controlled stop, not a sudden one.
- Stay inside the marked area and always look ahead.
Variations
Easier
Increase the gap to 8 m and remove the long surges.
Standard
Follow the leader at 5 m with whistle checks over four 3-minute blocks.
Harder
Play in groups of three: two shadows follow the leader, one at 5 m and one at 10 m, and all three roles rotate.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: lead or shadow in a wheelchair on a smooth surface with gentler pace changes.
- Autism: use a card to show when roles will switch and how many blocks are left.
- Lower fitness: lead more often to stay in control of personal pace.
Learning goals
- Match running speed to a partner through pace changes.
- Judge distances accurately while moving.
- Stay focused during sustained aerobic effort.
Equipment for a class of 25
- cones: 8
- whistle: 1
Teacher tip
Shadows tend to creep too close when the leader slows down, so stress that the gap also has to hold when the pace drops. With a large class, use two separate areas.
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