Race Analysis

Cumulative Gap Chart

How to read the gap chart and what it tells you about your race dynamics.

What the chart shows

The gap chart plots your cumulative time gap to the race leader at each control. The X-axis is the control sequence, the Y-axis is seconds behind the leader.

Cumulative gap chart showing time gap to leader at each control — The gap chart. A rising line means you are losing time relative to the leader; a flat section means you are matching the leader's pace.

Interpreting the shape

Steep upward jump — you lost significant time on that leg (error or hesitation)
Flat line — you were running at roughly the same pace as the leader
Slight downward slope — you were actually faster than the leader on that leg

Look for the steepest jumps — these correspond to your biggest mistakes or slowest legs. Cross-referencing with the color coding in the control table gives you the clearest picture.