The Biomechanics of Distance Running

This chapter provides the important aspects of the running stride and its various components, the effects of different footstrike patterns and fatigue on running technique, and how racing conditions such as wind, hills and underfoot surface affect an athlete's biomechanics. A knowledge of the biomechanics of running is invaluable when describing an athlete's technique, explaining how they speed up or slow down and understanding the external and internal forces that cause their movements. Because people's weights vary considerably, it is quite normal in biomechanics to present force magnitudes in bodyweights, whereby the forces measured are divided by the athlete's weight. Distance running is, of course, an endurance activity, and external factors such as the effects of wind, hills, surface and rival athletes' tactics can influence the rate of fatigue. Running speed is dictated by an athlete’s step length and cadence, although step length is more important in differentiating between faster and slower runners and reduces more with fatigue.

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