RUNNING

Group 1
 DEFINITION

• Running requires a higher level of

overall fitness than jogging.
Both running and jogging are forms of
aerobic exercise. Aerobic means 'with oxygen'
– the term 'aerobic exercise' means
any physical activity that produces energy by
combining oxygen with blood glucose or body
fat.

• Different terms are used to refer

to running according to the speed: jogging is
slow, and sprinting is running fast. Running
is a popular form of exercise. It is also one of
the oldest forms of sport. The exercise is
known to be good for health; it helps breathing
and heartbeat, and burns any spare calories.
 HISTORY

• Dating all the way back to 776 B.C., the first event
of the first-ever Olympics Games was a foot race. In
490 B.C., a Greek soldier named Pheidippides is said
to have run from Marathon to Athens, Greece—
roughly 25 miles—to deliver news of a military
victory against the Persians at the Battle of
Marathon. (Not exactly having trained for the
Fast-forward to 1896, when organizers for the first-ever extensive feat, the story goes that he keeled over and
international Olympic Games paid tribute to Pheidippides died immediately afterward.)
by holding a “marathon” clocking in at 24.85 miles,
spanning from Marathon Bridge to Olympic Stadium in
Athens. Although only nine out of 25 brave entrants
finished the race, it inspired the first-ever Boston
Marathon the following year in 1897. It wasn’t until
1908, however, when the marathon was first established
as 26.2 miles at the London Olympics. Thirteen years
later, the International Amateur Athletic Federation
officially declared the marathon to be a 26.2-mile
distance.
 THE RUNNING BOOM OF THE 1970S
Shortly after Kathrine Switzer—the first woman to enter the
Boston Marathon—made her mark, the running boom happened
for the mass population. More and more races, from 5Ks to
marathons, popped up across the globe. Both the Seattle and
New York City marathons began in 1970, and in 1972, and the
Boston and Vancouver marathons paved the way for inclusivity
by allowing women to enter alongside men. In 1972, Team
USA’s Frank Shorter won a gold medal in the Marathon at the
Munich Olympic Games. Televised to millions of Americans,
Shorter’s gold—the first for the U.S. since 1908—gave the
people hope that that they, too, could become champion
distance runners. • As more options emerged for non-elite runners, races
that were highly exclusive began to feel more
attainable. The average person who was willing to put
in the work necessary to cross the finish line was now
able to cross the finish line. Cash prizes became part of
the equation. Sponsorships grew. Today, the largest
road race in America—the AGJ Peachtree Road Race
in Atlanta—has more than 54,000 runners. Second to
that is the TCS New York City Marathon, with just shy
of 52,000 runners.
 O T H E R W E B S I T E S E X P L A I N E D T H A T

• Running was invented about the time when someone • Running was invented in 1612 by Thomas Running when he
wanted to stay alive. They either were running away tried to walk twice at the same time.
from something that wanted to eat them, or towards
• Running was invented in 1748 by Thomas Running when
something they wanted to eat.
he tried to walk twice at the same time. If you need to
• It would possibly be long before there was awareness
remember this for a test just think of the saying “eat some
that we are human, or awareness of just how potent the
bread, eat some rice, Thomas Running tried to walk twice”.
wetware in our heads is. It would have been invented as
a part of the Four Fs (evolution) : fighting, fleeing,
feeding and fornication.
 N A T U R E G A M E

• Records of competitive racing date back to the 

Tailteann Games in Ireland between 632 BCE and
1171 BCE, while the first recorded Olympic Games
 took place in 776 BCE. Running has been described
as the world's most accessible sport.

• Running competitions have probably existed for most

of humanity's history and were a key part of the 
ancient Olympic Games as well as the modern
Olympics. The activity of running went through a
period of widespread popularity in the United States
during the running boom of the 1970s. Over the next
two decades, as many as 25 million Americans were
doing some form of running or jogging – accounting
for roughly one tenth of the population. Today, road
racing is a popular sport among non-professional
athletes, who included over 7.7 million people in
America alone in 2002.
 E V E N T S B Y T Y P E

Track running events

are individual or relay events with athletes racing over specified distances on an oval
running track. The events are categorized as sprints, middle and long-distance, and hurdling.
Road running
takes place on a measured course over an established road (as opposed to track and 
cross country running). These events normally range from distances of 5 kilometers to longer
distances such as half marathons and marathons, and they may involve scores of runners or
wheelchair entrants.
Cross-country running
takes place over the open or rough terrain. The courses used for these events may
include grass, mud, woodlands, hills, flat ground and water. It is a popular participatory sport
and is one of the events which, along with track and field, road running, and racewalking,
makes up the umbrella sport of athletics.
Vertical running
The majority of popular races do not incorporate a significant change in elevation as a
key component of a course. There are several, disparate variations that feature significant
inclines or declines. These fall into two main groups.
The naturalistic group is based on outdoor racing over geographical features. Among these
are the cross country-related sports of fell running (a tradition associated with Northern
Europe) and trail running(mainly ultramarathon distances), the running/climbing combination
of skyrunning (organised by the International Skyrunning Federation with races across North
America, Europe and East Asia) and the mainly trail- and road-centred mountain running
 (governed by the World Mountain Running Association and based mainly in Europe). The
second variety of vertical running is based on human structures, such as stairs and man-
made slopes. The foremost type of this is tower running, which sees athletes compete
indoors, running up steps within very tall structures such as the Eiffel Tower or 
Empire State Building.
 E V E N T S B Y R U N N I N G

SPRINT

International level women athletes competing in 100 m sprint race at ISTAF Berlin, 2006

Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races
over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first
13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event – the 
stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other. There
are three sprinting events which are currently held at the Olympics and
outdoor World Championships: the 100 metres, 200 metres, and 400 metres.
These events have their roots in races of imperial measurements which were
later altered to metric: the 100 m evolved from the 100-yard dash, the 200 m
distances came from the furlong (or 1/8 of a mile), and the 400 m was the
successor to the 440 yard dash or quarter-mile race.
At the professional level, sprinters begin the race by assuming a crouching
position in the starting blocks before leaning forward and gradually moving into Middle distance
an upright position as the contest progresses and momentum is
gained. Athletes remain in the same lane on the running track throughout all are track races longer than sprints up to 3000 metres. The standard
sprinting events, with the sole exception of the 400 m indoors. Races up to middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although
100 m are largely focused upon acceleration to an athlete's maximum speed. the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle distance event. The
All sprints beyond this distance increasingly incorporate an element of
880 yard run, or half mile, was the forebear to the 800 m distance and it
endurance. Human physiology dictates that a runner's near-top speed cannot
be maintained for more than thirty seconds or so as lactic acid builds up, and
has its roots in competitions in the United Kingdom in the 1830s The
leg muscles begin to be deprived of oxygen. 1500 m came about as a result of running three laps of a 500 m track,
The 60 metres is a common indoor event and it an indoor world championship which was commonplace in continental Europe in the 1900s.
event. Other less-common events include the 50 metres, 55 metres, 300
metres and 500 metres which are used in some high and collegiate Long distance
 competitions in the United States. The 150 metres, is rarely competed: 
Pietro Mennea set a world best in 1983, Olympic champions Michael Johnson Examples of longer-distance running events are 
 and Donovan Bailey went head-to-head over the distance in 1997, and  long distance track races, marathons, ultramarathons, and multiday races.
Usain Bolt improved Mennea's record in 2009.
 BASIC SKILLS OF RUNNING

• Endurance
• Whether running 100 m sprints or 10 k races,
you will need to establish a base level of
endurance to compete effectively. The level of
endurance required of you will vary depending
on the distance of the event you run. Longer
events such as the mile, two mile, and longer
runs require endurance to simply finish the
race. This endurance is built by practicing runs
at equal or longer lengths, concentrating on
distance before speed.
 BASIC SKILLS OF RUNNING

• Pacing
• When running longer distances, ration your
energy, so you don't spend it all in one portion
of the race. This plays into endurance. A pace
is usually a small section of your overall
distance, run at an ideal interval time,
combined with subsequent intervals, to
produce an overall ideal race time. This can be
as simple as running a quarter mile in 90
seconds, four times in a row, for a total of a
six-minute mile.
 BASIC SKILLS OF RUNNING

• Sprinting
• Sprinting is Important to moving up the ranks
in competitive races and finishing strong. You
should practice sprinting both from a standstill
to build strength, and during a run to build a
feel for the momentary strain of sprinting while
already under duress. The latter is
interchangeably referred to as interval training
or the Fartlek method. You can practice this by
integrating intervals of short bursts of speed for
60 to 180 seconds into your distance workout if
you are a distance runner. Sprinters running
events in distances of 400 m or less will want
to focus more on increasing overall speed and
high-capacity endurance.
 B A S I C S K I L L S O F R U N N I N G

• Recovery
• One of the most essential skills of a event
runner is recovery. This includes cooling
down, stretching, proper care and rest. Cool
down with a five to 10 minute jog after any
running event. Once your heart rate has
decreased, begin stretching. Thoroughly stretch
your legs, including your hamstrings, calves
and quads. If you have any soreness, ice the
affected muscles and minimize strain until the
pain subsides. Finally, every serious training or
competition regimen should include at least
one day off for rest.
 RULES AND REGULATIONS

• The runners should abide by the following rules in

order to complete a race −
• Sprinters should run in designated lanes and cannot
cross lanes, throughout the race.
• In races with bunched starts, athletes can break
inside. In 800-meter race, they start from staggered
positions and can break inside after the first bend.
• In longer races of 1500 meters, 5000 meters, and
10000 meters, athletes can break inside after the
start.
• Sprinters shouldn’t step on white lines that mark
their lanes throughout the race.
• Sensors are placed in the starting pistol and at the
blocks. In case of a false start, the athlete is
disqualified.
• Before giving the ‘set’ command or before firing the
starter gun, athletes cannot touch the other side of
the start line with their hands or feet.
• Athletes should not obstruct other athletes during
the race.
• If an athlete is obstructed, the referee may order the
race to be held again, or he may ask the athlete to
take part in the next round.
• Athletes may leave the track voluntarily before the
race ends, but they cannot come back to the track
else they will be disqualified.