Sudden Surge of People out Running Backwards

just recently spotted 3 different runner's doing this on the track... and in the grass area by the track.

WEIRD, what's going on??

I ran the Peachtree RR backwards in '96, because I wanted to try something new, and I wasn't good enough to run with the faster folk. It took me about 58 minutes, and my calves hurt for days afterwards.

My wife thought I was nuts, and I was, but a few pints following the race made it all seem perfectly reasonable.

So at what distance is the backwards WR closest to the forwards, percentage-wise?

I really love to skip backwards and I am quite good at it.

Backward running and strides is also good injury prevention. Biomechanically running forward your hamstrings do not get a huge workload. Running backward reverses the muscle groups strengthening the hammys.

Though i dont think the intent of those you see running backward is this.

What the hell is going on with all this backwards running? CNN is selling shirts about it?

An earlier poster mentioned it as a beneficial eccentric exercise (ha, in more ways than one) for hamstrings and I can understand that. Another mentioned that some pros use it as a technique. All I can say from this weekend's observations is that the four joggers I saw running backwards weren't exactly pros.

OK, there's got to be some pop-culture epicenter for this sudden surge.

I run backwards a bit when I'm warming up (like a lap or so). Also sideways like a crab, reversing every 20 feet or so. I've gotten fewer injuries from speedwork if I do this sort of loosening before hand.

I can also understand why running backwards works for some people going down hill.

But, running backwards for an extended time? I just don't see how that's much fun and the "benefits" it would give can be obtained doing something else.

I was running with some of my friends when we saw someone coming up the hill towards us while she was running backwards, so we all turned around and ran past her backwards, but we were all facing her after the pass. It was quite odd but funny, especially when she asked if we were mocking her.

All these links about it. Who links who? Who's behind the links. One is one, but who is who? All these links about it. Who links who? I am not a paranoid man, but I see things dash past me to the sides of me and I think to myself, who links who? I see things. Who's watching me? Who links who? This will lead to something bad. This will lead to something bad. This will lead to something bad. This will lead to something bad. This will lead to something bad. This will lead to something bad. This will lead to something bad. This will lead to something bad. This will lead to something bad.

Keep your eyes open. Watchful. This surge of people running backwards. Trust nothing. They are all watching you. They all hate you. They run opposite of you to cancel out your efforts.

Sometimes I run backwards down steep hills - definitely less impact that way. But only sometimes...I can't help but feel just little bit too ridiculous to do it that often...