Naked running
It’s not just shoes that runners are shedding. Races such as the annual Bare to Breakers in San Francisco (baretobreakers.com) attract thousands of naked runners, who have more dilemmas than the average fun runner — such as where to pin their numbers.
Retro running
Want a new perspective on your running? Try jogging backwards. Enthusiasts say that retro running is kinder to knee and hip joints, with less of the pounding associated with regular jogging. Inspiringly, it burns a fifth more calories. Neck strain from turning to look where you are going is a downside, but not enough to stop hundreds entering the New York Road Runners Backwards Mile.
Beach running
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On sand your muscles must work harder to push out of the dent made by your foot. Belgian researchers found that beach running burns up to 2.7 times more calories than running on the road.
Barefoot running
A paper in The Journal of Injury, Function and Rehabilitation last month showed that running in trainers puts more strain on joints than running without shoes, enough to prompt a growing number to ditch their trainers. With 200,000 nerve endings in the soles of our feet, they are among the most sensitive parts of our anatomy. Exposing them more often is this year’s running trend.