Short distances are likely anaerobic, so a different kind of exercise from longer periods of exercise.

Anaerobic is evolved (as far as I know) as the "panic stations" exercise when it is 110% percent do-or-die situation and your body starts using inefficient no-oxygen metabolism because you need the extra energy to escape the chasing bear or whatever. It causes lots of lactic acid build up that hurts afterwards, and doing it a lot supposedly causes muscle issues unless you spend a lot of time warming down afterwards to help break it down.