With 200 meters to go, Andres Arroyo’s lungs burn, his quads tighten, his mind races.
Here, Arroyo finds his second wind, establishes his edge and validates his decision to run the 800, the most taxing event in track and field.
“The 800, for lack of a better word, it sucks,” Arroyo said.
The 21-year-old native of Puerto Rico would not have it any other way.
Every track and field event exacts its pound of flesh during training and demands peak performance on race day. The 800, though, is akin to an extreme sport - big-wave surfing on a flat, 400-meter oval.