43 Facts About Running Every Athlete Would Love To Know About

Rapid terrestrial locomotion is called running.

Running is a common sport not only for racing but also for fitness. Some sports training has running as a component of stability.

As a sport, there are various running events. Track running includes 100 m, 200 m, and 400 m running known as sprints, and 800 m, 1,000 m, and 1,500 m and a mile running called middle distance. Road running is a marathon event on the road covering a distance of 26.2 mi (42.2 km). The half marathon is for 13 mi (21 km), and the ultramarathon covers more than 72.1 mi (116 km). Running over grass fields, flat grounds, woodlands, hills, and water is called cross country running. People run to lose weight, for fitness, and to participate in events like marathons. People willing to get proper training also join running clubs. They are given training according to their ability, stamina, and the event they would like to participate in. People should get expert advice to select the running shoe that suits their gait, foot shape, weight, and running distance. Nowadays, gait is analyzed in shops specializing in selling running shoes.

History Of Running

The history of running dates back to four and a half million years ago.

Competitive running was introduced in an Irish sporting festival called Tailteann Games in 1829 BCE.

In religious festivals of Greece, Egypt, Asia, and Africa, competitive running was conducted.

In Olympia town of ancient Greece, running was officially started as a sport in 776 BCE.

Till 724 BCE, running was the only event conducted in the Olympics.

490 BCE was the century when a Marathon soldier ran 25 mi (40.2 km) from the city of Marathon to Athens in Rome and died after delivering the victory message. The marathon event of running is based on this event.

In 1896, the marathon event was introduced in Olympics. Spyridon, a Greek water carrier, became the first marathon winner.

In 1897, a prestigious running event 'The Boston Marathon' was introduced and John McDermott of the US won the first Boston marathon.

Before the 20th-century, female runners were not allowed in marathon events.

In 1984, the first official women's marathon started at the Olympics. Joan Benoit of the US was the first woman to win this marathon.

Tiberias Marathon, held in Jordan Valley, is the lowest marathon course at 656.2 ft (200 m) below sea level.

The Great Wall of China Marathon is the toughest course, with 5,164 steps and many undulations.

Health Benefits: Cardiovascular, Metabolic, Mental

Running is an inexpensive exercise to practice. In general, running improves heart health. Cold weather is better for running.

A few minutes of running every day reduces the risk of strokes and heart attacks called cardiovascular diseases.

Running lowers your heartbeat rate when you are at rest, which indicates good health.

When you run, your heart rate increases as more blood is pumped into blood vessels and more nutrients are supplied to all body parts.

Running makes your heart stronger, and your lungs become stronger as you breathe more air.

The strength of the knees and back health is improved with the help of running.

Running can lower back health problems due to aging, and it also reduces the chance of arthritis.

When you run for at least 30 minutes a day, you get rid of any underlying respiratory problems as running is an aerobic exercise.

Running improves your sleep quality and boosts your immune system.

Your overall health gets improved by running. It reduces stress, cholesterol, sugar levels, waist circumference, and body fat and boosts your lifespan.

Running helps you build muscle and increase your strength, while also boosting your confidence level.

Stronger bones reduce the risk of fractures. Running strengthens the bone structure by increasing the production of hormones needed for bone building.

Going for a run helps to improve your mood and also brings you closer to mother nature.

Risk Of Running Injuries

Excess of anything is harmful, and this applies to running too. Here is what you need to know about the risks of running.

Running every day might be harmful as it puts your muscles, tendons, and ligaments under tremendous strain and gives very little time for your body to recover.

Excessive running causes thickening of heart tissue and fibrosis, leading to an irregular heartbeat.

Some common overuse injuries are patellofemoral pain syndrome or runner's knee (pain around the kneecap), Achilles tendonitis, and stress fractures.

Shin splints (inflammation of tendons and bones around the shin) are also caused due to overuse.

Extreme running puts enormous stress on a person's cardiovascular system.

Incorrect running technique, incorrect clothing, and incorrect running shoes may also affect you.

Excessive running doesn't give enough time for your body to recover. This increases the level of cortisol (stress hormone), causes chronic stress, and hormone imbalance.

Common injuries experienced are blisters caused by foot sliding or rubbing, shin pain, ligament sprain, skin injuries like sunburn, and injuries due to falling over.

Running Records

Since running became a competitive sport, many interesting records have been made by runners.

The world record in 100 m and 200 m is held by Usain Bolt.

He completed the 100 m sprint in 9.58 seconds in 2009 and the 200 m sprint in 19.19 seconds.

During the 150 m race in 2009, he finished the last 100 m in 8.7 seconds!

Usain Bolt also set the fastest human footspeed of 27.8 mph (44.7 kph).

China's Xu Zhenjun holds the world record in the backward marathon, running in 3 hours 43 minutes, and 39 seconds, which he set at the 2004 Beijing International Marathon.

Florence Griffith-Joyner holds the Guinness world record in the 100 m sprint with 10.49 seconds.

Fauja Singh of India, also nicknamed 'Turban Tornado,' is the oldest person to run a marathon.

His age was 101 when he ran his last race.

In 1954, Roger Bannister became the first person to run a mile in 3 minutes 59.4 seconds, which was considered impossible at that time.

Budhia Singh is the youngest marathon runner who completed around 50 marathons by the age of four.

At Berlin Marathon in 2018, Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge made a marathon world record of 2 hours, 1 minute, and 39 seconds!

FAQs

Is it ok to run every day?

It is not ok to run every day as it increases the risk of overuse injuries.

What is the history of running?

Human running dates back to four and a half million years.

Who is the most famous runner in the world?

Usain Bolt is the most famous and fastest runner globally.

Who invented running?

Running was not invented by any human individual as it came as a way of survival before becoming a sport.

Who was the first person to run?

Australopithecus, ancestral humans, were the first to run.

Who is the world's slowest runner?

Shizo Kanakuri, the Japanese runner, holds the slowest time for finishing a marathon after 54 years, eight months, six days, five hours, and 32 minutes.

Who is the heaviest long-distance runner?

Charles Bungert weighed 427 lb (194 kg) when he finished the 2013 Los Angeles Marathon.

Who is the best female runner?

Florence Griffith Joyner is considered the fastest female runner.

When did the first person run?

It is believed that our ancestors developed the habit of running around 2.6 million years ago.

When did the first running race happen?

Earliest records of a running race date back to 1829 BC.

Which country is the best at running?

Jamaica and the United States have produced some of the best short-distance runners, and Kenyans are famous for long-distance running.