How to run faster. The aerodynamics of running explained

2020 is upon us and we’re all working on our New Year’s resolutions, right? Good health and good spirits should be top of the list for everyone. But for those of you who want to improve more, we thought we’d give you a few tips on the aerodynamics of running and how to run faster in 2020. This might be good for your cardio, but also for your self-esteem, goals, and achievements. We’ve looked up and down and found some engineering principles which can help you optimize your running process in this new year. From the wind resistance to wind speed and clothing, all these factors can influence your aerodynamics and, in the end, your running.

How do the principles of aerodynamics influence your running

By the end of last year’s the world has seen another marathon world record. Eluid Kipchoge ran 26.2 miles in 1 hour, 59 minutes and 40 seconds. That means he kept an average pace of 4 and a half minutes per mile. That is quite mind-boggling. It was the first time a human being had run a marathon in less than 2 hours. However, this world record is not valid because he and Nike had used some aerodynamic techniques that are still not allowed. The official world record is still held by Dennis Kimetto who ran the standard 26.2 miles in 2 hours, 2 minutes and 57 seconds, in Berlin, in 2014. Still, your mind stays at Kipchoge and Nike’s results, right? Let’s break down their scientific approach to the aerodynamics of running.

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How did Kipchoge and NIKE break the world record of running?

Kipchoge had a team of 8 rotating pacers who ran in a delta formation in front of him. They were the ones who took the larger part of the wind resistance and allowed Kipchoge to run right through the fluid streams trailing off the runners ahead. The formation kept a constant 2-hour pace for Eluid. Specialists estimate that this saved 1 minute and 30 seconds for Kipchoge. In running, this is huge!

In front of the runners in Kipchoge formation was a car that was keeping the exact same pace all throughout the marathon. What the car did was keep the same exact pace for all the runners and also create a massive draft effect for the arrow-shaped running formation to run through. So, basically, Eluid Kipchoge had the minimum wind resistance possible all throughout the race, was able to keep the exact pace and location all along.

So, these were the two basic components which helped Kipchoge run a marathon in less than 2 hours. What can we learn from here? Well, there are a couple of things that can help us run faster in the future.

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How to use aerodynamics to your advantage when running

You need a constant pace; maybe you can try running with a friend who’s more experienced than you and ask him to help you keep the pace you want to finish in. Trailing behind another runner can help you keep a constant speed rate all throughout the run. Any good aerodynamic technique will help you save about 2 minutes from a 2 hour run time. That is about 1.6 percent of improvement. If you want more, then there are a few other things to take into consideration:

• If you have long hair, you might want to braid it
• Wearing ultra-fitting clothes will help much more than you expect
• Wear a camelback if you want to wear a water bottle
• Shave your legs (it sounds funny, but in the long run it can help save some time)
• Shoes are really important! You need slim, lightweight shoes

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We know you might not be a professional runner and you might not be training for a marathon, but if you’re a running aficionado, then these techniques will definitely help you achieve more for your personal success. This is how to run faster in 2020. We wish you the best year yet!

Via Interesting Engineering