A beeline is the shortest and fastest path to the end in racing. For long-distance races such as trail running or open-water swimming, typically, when an athlete makes an attempt to move directly toward a buoy, turn marker, or checkpoint. Although it appears as the shortest distance, it may not always be the fastest or ideal path due to various circumstances such as currents in the water, wind, uneven terrain, or congested areas.
Open-water swimmers tend to sight up in order to stay in line with the buoy, but tides and waves make curved courses work slightly better. For running on solid terrain, straight is fine, possibly faster in the long term. Individuals who have an idea of what is out there and make the right decision—not necessarily the quickest—are both saving energy and time. The skill of knowing when straight is what you should do, when curved is what you should do is racing strategy and familiarity with the course.
