Even back in the early 1900s, they knew that flailing your arms like you're trying to achieve unpowered human flight isn't good practice. Besides, doing something like that in a race would get a runner disqualified, because flailing like one of those wacky inflatable dancing guys means you're more likely to smack a nearby runner. Yet even Tom Hanks did this in Forrest Gump. He's supposed to be a good long distance runner, but running like that screws up a person's airflow, making them exert way more energy than they need to. And they especially need that energy: In movies, runners basically sprint for the entirety of a mile-long race. That never happens. After 800 meters, even extremely fit runners start to fade. The goal is to have enough energy left to really sprint when you get closer to the finish line.

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That's because you can't risk anything at the finish line. Another scene in Chariots Of Fire shows the runners celebrating juuust before crossing the finish line. That's a famously terrible idea. Check out this video of an Oregon race where the runner in the lead gave one wave to his family and was immediately passed by the dude behind him.