Race to Discover: 12 Fascinating Fun Facts About Running You'll Love

1. Running Sparks Creativity

If you're tired of running in circles waiting for a lightbulb moment, maybe try running in straight lines instead: A heart-pumping jog can actually spark creativity for up to two hours after you've kicked off your shoes and caught your breath, making it the perfect workout to jog your brain into brilliance.
Source => cigna.com

2. Royal Influence on Marathon Distance

Before the Kardashians stole headlines, marathons had their own royal-studded scandal: It wasn't Pheidippides' ancient jaunt from Marathon to Athens that set the modern marathon's distance, but the 1908 London Olympics where it was tweaked to 26.2 miles just to please the royal family. They requested the course run from Windsor Castle to the royal box at White City Stadium, giving us the extra mileage we know and love today - All to ensure they had a perfect view of sweaty athletes crossing the finish line from their royal seats!
Source => nationalgeographic.com

Did you know ancient Greek athletes competed in sports completely naked? Discover more about these buff gym-bros and their au naturel activities!

=> Fun Facts about Sports

3. Penguin's Speedy Swim vs Slow Waddle

Don't challenge any penguins to a race – unless you're underwater: While the speedy Gentoo penguin can out-swim Michael Phelps at a whopping 22 mph, their waddle game tops off at a meager 2 mph when they're on land, making them less of a Usain Bolt and more of a... Usain Dolt.
Source => frostyarctic.com

4. Spyridon Louis: The Marathon Man

Before cardio machines and fancy workout gear, ancient Greece had a man who gave birth to marathons, and we're not pulling your leg: Spyridon Louis was a Greek runner who won the first Olympic marathon in 1896, inspired by the Greek legend of Pheidippides who ran from Marathon to Athens, and now the marathon has become a global phenomenon with a standardized length of 42.195 km (26.219 mi) and a massive following of runners and spectators yearly.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

5. Abebe Bikila's Barefoot Victories

Before the world had Forrest Gump, it was graced by a real-life running legend, a man who didn't need high-tech shoes to win gold, a barefoot Kenyan superhero: Abebe Bikila became the first East African Olympic medalist in athletics by winning the marathon not just once, but twice! In 1960, he raced barefoot to victory and snagged the gold, making the world sit up and take notice. Four years later, with another gold in Tokyo, he didn't just win – he shattered the world record with his finishing time.
Source => olympics.com

6. Outdoor Running vs Treadmill

Did you ever wonder if the T-1000, the relentlessness running machine from "Terminator 2," would have been as effective on a treadmill? Probably not, because it turns out he'd have had a much easier time of it: Running outdoors typically burns more calories than running on a treadmill due to variations in terrain, weather, and wind conditions, and the fact that the treadmill propels you forward, doing some of the work for you.
Source => verywellfit.com

7. Breathe Through Your Nose for Better Endurance

Next time you're running, channel your inner anteater and let that schnoz work its magic: Breathing through your nose while running can improve oxygen intake and endurance by reducing exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB), as it warms and humidifies the air while increasing the breathing rate and carbon dioxide levels, ultimately making your jog less of a gasping struggle and more of a breeze!
Source => oxygenadvantage.com

8. Humans Naturally Enjoy Running

While dogs might love to let loose and gallop on the beach like they're in a K9 Baywatch reboot, turns out humans also have a deeply-rooted penchant for racing towards the horizon: According to studies, we score a 2.6 on the endocannabinoid scale (similar to endorphins) which suggests we're evolutionarily wired to relish running for the sheer joy of it - just a notch below dogs at 3.3, while little ferrets received a zero, feeling more chuffed hiding and snoozing!
Source => painterskeys.com

9. Running's Relationship with Your Tummy

Running: the foe of constipation and the best friend of temporary nausea and heartburn! The universal truth - like Forrest Gump, the faster you go, the more havoc you wreak on your tummy: Intense exercise like running can have negative impacts on your gastrointestinal tract, causing symptoms such as nausea, heartburn, and even gastrointestinal bleeding. Fear not, a consultation with your physician about the type and intensity of exercise best suited for you will keep your GI tract and running shoes on good terms.
Source => badgut.org

10. Speedy Afghan Hounds

From chilling in the mountains to channelling their inner Usain Bolt, these hairy hounds have quite the history in their paws: Afghan Hounds, one of the oldest dog breeds, can run up to 40 mph (64 km/h) and were once vital companions for humans navigating through the frosty Afghan mountain ranges.
Source => dogpackapp.com

11. Cold Temperatures Burn More Calories

Feeling cold makes us think we're freezing our buns off, but little do we know, we're actually setting fire to our flab: Cooler temperatures increase the body's thermogenesis process, helping efficiently burn stored fat and potentially burn more calories during a workout, as long as the mercury stays above freezing.
Source => americansportandfitness.com

12. Pump Up the Jam for Better Running Performance

Cue the Rocky soundtrack and strap on that sweatband: a study in the Journal of Human Kinetics found that jamming to tunes during a running time trial can bring out your inner Usain Bolt, increasing total distance by 10% and speed by a whopping 14%. Plus, warming up with some musical motivation can boost your distance and speed by 8%—that's nothing to run in circles about!
Source => triathlete.com