They can't compete with a cheetah in terms of speed (honestly nobody can), and if they started to run as fast as they can, that is a bad move. The best plan to stay alive would be to run slow and make a sharp turn at the very last moment; timing is everything.

I had a friend when we were kids who was shorter and slower than me, but he used this trick to escape me when we played tag or similar games. He was an expert at it. Often left me in utter frustration.