I love running! It is a great way to keep fit and manage your mental health. It is a fairly cheap sport to get into since all you need is a good pair of shoes. Park Run provided a safe environment for people to run once a week for free. Normally our blogs are very clinically based, but this time I thought I would provide you with some interesting facts about running.
Man versus Beast
When it comes to sprinting, humans are extremely slow animals. During Usain Bolt’s fastest run he managed to hit 27mph, while the average house cat reaches speeds of up to 30mph. However, when it comes to long-distance running, we do quite well for ourselves. There are African tribes that have used endurance running as a hunting tactic for centuries.
There are annual sub-marathon distance races in both Scotland and whales where runners compete against riders on horseback over 22 miles. To my knowledge, there have been at least 4 times when a runner has managed to beat the horses.
Oldest marathon runner
If you have talked to me about running before, I have probably mentioned this man. Fauja Singh started running in his 70’s and completed his first marathon at the age of 89. He has completed marathons all across the world and he became the oldest person to complete a marathon when he ran the Hong Kong marathon in 24th February 2013… he was 102 years old. He retired from competitive running at the age of 105 and this year he celebrated his 112th birthday.
Longest foot race
The longest running race in the world is the “Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race”. The race course is only one city block long but runners have to complete 5,649 laps of it over the course of 52 days. It takes place in Queens, New York, USA every year. The runners are allowed to run between the hours of 6am to midnight. Runners typically wear out 10 to 15 pairs of shoes throughout the race.
Not so bad for your joints
For years and years, we have all been told that if you do too much running you will wear out your knees. Most runners will be relieved to hear that recent research has cast a shade of doubt over that statement. there have now been multiple large-scale studies that have shown that seasoned runners actually have lower levels of arthritis in their knees when compared to an age matched general population.
If you are a runner who is training for a race, or just looking to optimise your running performance you can find out more about our run lab service. If you are a runner suffering with an injury, please call us to book an appointment.
Dominic Walcott (BSc MCSP SRP)
Clinical Lead at Thorpes Physiotherapy