Distance vs Sprint Events.

100 meters vs 10,000 meters.

The disparity between the two running styles for these events are like comparing carrots and apples.

100 meters. A technical race. Everything has to perfect for best race.

A light tailwind, quick turnover, good to excellent form, body relaxation and the mentality of a hungry tiger. Maybe a bit exaggeration, but this is how you sprint at your peak for the longest possible duration. No way anyone is going to stride the race out against a competitive field of athletes and expect to win. From the moment you are preparing to get into the blocks, you better be ready. Any doubt you have at the time will just hinder your performance. You're in the race to do your best and possibly win, right? Wrong. You're in the race to win. Once that gun sounds off, everyone is hounding to finish. Teammates are turned into rivals and rivals are turned into enemies for those 10 seconds of your life.

Now, I would say the key to winning the race is not only giving your best effort, but your ability to stay calm. When you're in the blocks waiting for the starter to set the field off, don't get overexcited; you're more likely to false start or "chop" your steps off the block. There will be times where you'll be running side by side with the person left of you for a couple seconds(in which it will feel like an eternity) in the middle of the race. The person that wins the eventual race is one that tightens up less and keeps his stride frequency.

10,000 meters. A game of chess.

I never ran 10,000 meters in a meet, but from observation, it's a tactical race. Many elite racers trail off someone, which in turn saves energy for the back runner. Runners usually accelerate their pace in various segments of the race to break away from slower runners. It is very similar to cycling(a quick congratulations to Lance Armstrong and his triumphant return. Third place at the Tour de France after taking 3 years off is amazing) where teammates would help one another to place and score points. This race isn't as appealing and suspenseful to watch as the 100 meter sprint, but runners at these distances experience less chronic injuries.

Longevity in Track and Field.

Sprinters primarily peak at around their mid-late twenties. It's a young man's sport, where brawn overrides brains. After that, their body starts having complications from the years of strain you put on it by weight lifting and sprinting. Distance runners, on the contrary, usually train in a lower intensity environment and their bodies can last till (i'm guessing) late 30s, early 40s and still being running a sub 5 minute mile.

I remember the first day I joined track. The coach asked me if I wanted to do distance or sprints. Honestly, I never pictured myself as a sprinter. My elementary teachers would always have me run 4-5 laps around the field. But then I discovered that I had only fooled myself. A mile around the field takes about 8-9 laps. To think that I was a distance/marathoner... I wouldn't last. I was never built for it.