Usain Bolt Breaks Another World Record – For Running Backwards

Last night at an athletics meeting in Tiptree, England, Usain Bolt broke another World Record. However, this world record is not as well known as the 100m or 200m sprints. It was the Backward Running 100m event. Usain Bolt was up against fellow Olympic athletes Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay who were also competing for the prize.

Usain Bolt was victorious, running the 100m in just 13.57 seconds, just beating the Germany Backward Running champion Roland Wegner’s record time of 13.60 seconds.

Running backwards, officially called Backward Running by the Olympic Committee, is on the cards to be included in the 2012 Olympic Games as a , along with other popular British sports, Pub Darts and the Scottish strength event, Tossing the Caber which is currently only ever done at the Highland Games.


“Exercise’s best kept secret? One lap of backward running is said to be equivalent to running six laps forwards.  Think of the time you could save in training” – backward-running-backward.com

Asafa Powell Demonstrates Backwards Run

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFj9Q8GFBE4&ucbcb=1

This video shows an impressive backward running. Some of these guys are running faster backwards than most people can go forwards.

Obviously as I started writing this article it was simply as an April Fools joke. However, much to my surprise, there really is a lot of Backward Running going on around the World. Maybe Usain should go for a new World Record!

You can learn more about the history and development of Backward Running here: www.backward-running-backward.com.


There is obviously not any additional health benefit to running backwards but it does make exercise a little more fun. If you are trying to think of new ways to get children interested in exercise then organizing a backwards running race in the park could ignite an passion for sport and fitness in some of the kids.

2 Comments on “Usain Bolt Breaks Another World Record – For Running Backwards”

  1. “There is obviously not any additional health benefit to running backwards but it does make exercise a little more fun.”

    Do your research. There are plenty of additional health benefits of backwards running. Look it up and do some reading. Or, just go out and try it yourself and see what benefits you get.

  2. Joe, feel free to share here.

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