Jakob Ingebrigtsen was ready to become a Pac-Man when he stepped on the track in early June.
Like the video game character that gobbles dots inside a maze, Ingebrigtsen, a Norwegian middle-distance runner, was focused on keeping up with the bright green flashes plotting his way along the inside of the track. The flashes, called Wavelights, were traveling at the exact pace of the two-mile best time. (The distance is not considered world-record eligible because it is not an official World Athletics distance.)
So when he sprinted down the home straightaway, leaving the blinking lights in his wake, the spectators in the stadium knew they were witnessing the best performance in the world in the event.