What are the origins of running? Well, we can trace it back to the caveman period when our ancestors used to run miles to hunt down their prey. Subsequently, with the first ever Olympic Games being conducted 2700 years ago by the Greeks in honour of Zeus, sprint running was the major trademark event of the Games which just lasted one day!
Since then, until now in the 21st century, humans have come a long way in terms of running. Today, it qualifies as a sport, and probably the only sport that transcends age, gender, and equipment requirements that clog up the other disciplines.
Also read: 10 best running shoes in India in 2017
On that note, Sportskeeda lists ten astonishing facts about running that will leave you with your mouths open!
#1 Running outdoors at the same pace as on the treadmill burns more calories due to air resistance. That is why races which are short enough to be run in only one direction have a wind-assistance phenomenon.
In 60 meters, 100 meters, 200 meters, and 100/110 meter hurdles events, the maximum legal wind assistance is 2.0 meters per second – either positive or negative. Positive implies that the wind helps the runners while negative means that the athletes have to run against the wind.
#2 French ultramarathoner, Serge Girard holds the record for the longest distance ever run in a year. He covered a total distance of 27,011 kilometres, running around 25 countries of the European Union over the course of one year. The previous Guinness World Record was held by India’s Tirtha Kumar Phani who had run 22,581.09 km in 365 days with a great average of 61.87 km per day.
#3 Well, we thought humans were fast, but four animals that can beat homo sapiens in a sprint are cheetahs, domestic rabbits, cats and kangaroos! But if you’re a sore loser and want to end up victorious, the four slowest animals to compete against are elephants, squirrels, garden snails and pigs!
A special mention must go out to Sarah, a cheetah at the Cincinnati zoo who completed the 100m dash in 5.95 seconds with a top speed of 61 mph. Not to undermine Usain Bolt, but that is almost four seconds faster than his world record time and more than double his top speed.
#4 According to research conducted at the University of Portsmouth, breasts do not just bounce up and down whilst running but move in a complicated figure-8 pattern. Hence, the absence of supportive sports bras which minimise this movement can lead to premature sagging and other co-related problems. So ladies, next time you run, you now know which is the most important piece of clothing to wear!
#5 The oldest person to run a marathon is Fauja Singh, who completed the London Marathon in 2012, when he was 101 years old, with a time of 7 hours 49 minutes and 21 seconds. What’s more, the man started running only when he was 89. On the other hand, the oldest female to complete a marathon on record is Gladys Burrill, who completed the 2010 Honolulu Marathon when she was 92 years, clocking in at 9 hours 53 minutes and 16 seconds.
#6 Over 1 billion pairs of running shoes are sold worldwide each year. This is more than the total population of Columbia, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Philippines, Russia, Japan and Mexico combined! And this number possibly excludes those runners who run barefoot or use some other kind of shoes! So does that make running the most followed sport?
#7 As per a study conducted by researchers at the University of Dunham, athletes who wear red clothing are more likely to emerge as winners on race day. This is because the colour red not only exudes dominance but is also seen as threatening to fellow competitors. It also signals higher testosterone levels.
#8 While we hear many people say that running makes you healthy and strong, it is also a fact that running can make you sick! Excessive running – distances of 80 kilometres or more in a week – increases the risk of succumbing to a respiratory illness. The ideal distance to run to strengthen the immune system and body strength is around 20-30 km per week.
#9 Wearing cheap running shoes could minimise your risk of injuries! According to a research study at the University of Bern in Switzerland which analysed 4,358 runners, it was found that runners wearing shoes that were worth more than $95 were more than twice as likely to get injured as compared to those runners who wore shoes that cost less than $40. What is expensive is not always better!
#10 Atalanta is the Greek goddess of running! Renowned for her beautiful looks and muscular physique she was extremely fierce, killing suitors who could not manage to outrun her. Maybe Usain Bolt came onto the scene a tad-bit too late. Atalanta does not have any known temple dedicated to her but the race track could be considered sacred to her.
