Sun Tzu would say: because it is not really a race

it is a race where you can move the cones, distract the other runner, and pack better shoes

more like maneuvering

Chapter VII says tactical maneuvering is the hardest part: turn the crooked into the direct

fair

plain version: a path that looks slow can become fast if it changes what the other side expects

think airport security

the shortest line is useless if everyone runs to it. sometimes the weird far checkpoint gets you through first

exactly

Sun Tzu says you can take a long circuit, entice the enemy away, start later, and still arrive first

yep. Giles calls this the artifice of deviation

the point is not hustle harder. it is make the other side solve the wrong map

that is the twist

he warns that raw speed can wreck you

march 100 li to grab an advantage, and the leaders of all three divisions may get captured

worse, barely anyone arrives together

at 100 li, only one-tenth reaches the destination. at 50, only half. at 30, two-thirds

yes. it filters out your tired people, your supplies, and your ability to act as one unit

3 moves

misdirect: make the obvious path look important

pace: do not outrun your baggage, food, or coordination

arrive usable: getting there first only matters if you can still do something

very

in work terms: do not join the obvious race if everyone is watching that lane

pick the route that changes the game clock

maybe slower on paper, but it avoids the jam, keeps your team intact, and lands where the other side is late

before you rush, ask 4 things

what route does everyone expect? what would pull them off it? what supplies can’t we lose? what counts as arriving ready?

yep. and don’t make the team run 100 li because the spreadsheet says first place is available

good. calendars are where bad marches hide

go easy