During standard stages, Eggman will appear at 500m, 1,800m, and 3,500m. He will drop springs to slow you down. You cannot be seriously hurt or killed during those segments. Do not jump over Eggman or run past him. This will end the section without rewarding you extra rings for hitting him. Make sure to hit him whenever possible. Bonus items are saved during mid-run boss fights. If you collect a bonus just before reaching the Eggman part of a stage, its timer will stop decreasing and will resume only after you reach the next running section. This happens for items that do not help you during the Eggman sections, such as springs. Items like the magnet will remain active. Run under bouncing items during boss fights. If Eggman throws something at you that bounces, run under it. You only need to jump over items at ground level. Otherwise, most items are timed to bounce over you.