Running in parkour

Parkour is a sport based around overcoming obstacles in one’s environment with only the human body’s abilities. The activity utilises foundational human locomotion patterns, and running is included in the great majority of parkour movements or between applying unique parkour athletic gestures or motor skills. Moreover, running has specific features in parkour, being widely used on a horizontal surface and oblique or vertical surfaces. Although running was a traditional element within parkour training, younger communities tend to focus more on the aesthetic and explosive movements within parkour and do not typically practice distance running of any sort; running as a skill in itself is practised by only a minority of the parkour community worldwide. There is commonly a non-systematic approach to the training, since most parkour practitioners use programming types known as self-regulating programming and project-based programming. Many benefits from introducing running as a regular practice for parkour participants would support and improve any practitioner’s general physical preparation—for example, the increase in speed and power. Running on challenging surfaces, such as ground lines, curbs or rails, may improve movement control and increase the safety margin. Running practice could bring many benefits to injury prevention in parkour by increasing dynamic stability and balance, contralateral coordination and maintaining healthy hip function and range of motion. Trail running may also improve ankle, hip and knee coordination and mobility and postural responsiveness, which directly benefits the variability required in parkour.