RUN for SCIENCE is a project conceived in 2014 by the department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement of the University of Verona and that has involved several universities throughout Europe. It represents today the largest and most important scientific event concerning the world of endurance and run.
The protagonists are runners willing to match their passion to run 21 or 42 km. Measures and techniques of investigation allow to quantify the benefit and the modifications induced by the effort and in relation to the age. The aim is to study and investigate different aspects concerning the half marathon and marathon, such as: muscular, cardiovascular and metabolic efficiency, as well as psychological aspects.
An established collaboration allows to make interact different research groups, internationally recognised among the most competent in their respective fields. This allows to carry out multidisciplinary analyses, to report results and to obtain scientific interpretations and discoveries that would otherwise be impossible. Sport, Research and Health find a meeting point here.
Runners of predetermined ages participate in the annual edition. 200 volunteers are asked to undergo anthropometric measures (weight, height, body composition), cognitive (evaluation through questions or computer systems), conditional (strength, elasticity, sensitivity), functional (energy expenditure, precision) and organic (blood samples) before and just after the race. A group of runners, recruited in the first months of the year, is randomly divided into sub-groups subsequently assigned to different training modalities according to the scheme: Polarised training, Focused training and aerobic training, in order to define their potential and limits.
On the day of the event, normally in April, the sciencers think only about running 21 or 42 km and having fun, the researchers have the task of measuring, evaluating, collecting information. The data are statistically treated for scientific purposes in an anonymous form and can be used to produce publications in scientific journals or presented in written and oral form at national and international scientific congresses.
During the R4S event, which is held at the facilities of the Department of Motor Sciences of the University of Verona (Via Montelungo, 3, 37131 Verona), scientific instruments from the best assessment centers or soon available of the amateur runner are used, from simple GPS to wearable instruments for metabolic control.