Rabbits can often be seen in middle and long distance races. The role of rabbits is also varied:
For professional players, players are very powerful and need someone to bring rhythm and keep the first half "stable". So the rabbit basically only ran a distance in front and then retired. In the marathon, there are usually several professional rabbits, ranging from 15 to 30 kilometers according to the original plan. There are also players who hire rabbits to break records/create achievements;
For amateurs, the main function of rabbits is to help achieve certain results. For example, we often say "400 rabbits", which means running a full marathon in 4 hours. They are like reminders to run on the track. Being able to run with them means that you can realize your dream of running a four-hour marathon.
-To sum up in one sentence, a rabbit is a person who helps athletes achieve their goals by leading part or all of the distance through pre-set competition strategies.
Rabbits often have obvious signs indicating the target time and can see far away. The earliest marathon rabbit appeared in the Paris Marathon, and the rabbit was tied with a balloon indicating the finish time. However, because balloons are easily interrupted by branches on both sides of the road, flags, leaflets and headdresses have gradually emerged.
A few years ago, in order to achieve "zero time difference", the rabbit deliberately slowed down in the last few hundred meters of the marathon and crossed the finish line in seconds, which obviously violated the original intention of setting up the rabbit.
Nowadays, marathon rabbits are more and more versatile. In addition to the daily "rabbit step" training, many rabbits also have professional skills such as first aid, and they can try their best to help when they encounter unexpected things on the track.