Running is very popular. Not only during the Corona lockdowns when exercising together wasn’t possible and the gyms weren't open, but at the start of each year, many people put on their running shoes for a run in the park. You don't need much equipment, it doesn't cost much, it is easy to fit into your schedule, and you can also do it on your own. Simply said: running has a low threshold. But that’s where the danger lies, says Mark Janssen. Janssen, who has received a PhD grant for teachers, combined his PhD research at the Department of Industrial Design with his job as a teacher-researcher at Fontys School of Sports Studies and investigated the novice recreational runner. "You think: I just put on my running shoes, and I’ll be gone. Half an hour, an hour? Why wouldn’t I be able to do that? And that is not a smart line of reasoning. Because with every step you take, your body needs to absorb three to four times your body weight. Your muscles, tendons, and bones need to gradually adjust to this, especially if you’ve put on some weight during the holidays. If you go too fast at the start, you might strain a muscle and end up with an injury.”

That is why running is the sport with by far the most injuries. Janssen explains that one of the reasons this happens is the lack of proper guidance. “For years, running groups and clubs have been drawing fewer and fewer members. All the while a trainer can be very important. Especially for a novice runner, they can keep an eye on the injuries and design a personalized running schedule. Many people just copy schedules from the internet. But those are the same for everyone, no matter your goal, weight, or condition.”

It would be a utopia if every runner had a trainer, Janssen agrees. To support the so-called ‘unorganized, unchecked’ runner, Janssen looked at what technology could help the novice runner through the early days and reduce the risk of injuries. “We started with an investigation into the motivation of the runner. They all participated in a running event, ranging from 5K to a marathon. The novice runners usually have a clear goal in mind, but they are more likely to cite personal reasons as why they would stop: no time, not fun, suffering from ailments. The advanced runner has embraced the sport more and can be roughly divided into two groups: the social competitive runner and the individual competitive runner - more often male, slightly older, runs with sports watch and sports apparel from well-known brands. Whereas the social competitive runner likes to run in a running group and seeks out competition with other runners, the individual competitive runner is primarily focused on their own performance and prefers to train alone. Both groups know their bodies well and are less likely to get overtrained. They indicate that they mostly run to experience the relaxing ‘runners high’ and will not stop anytime soon.” It is a special study because never before has such a large group of about 20,000 runners been studied in detail. And this alone has already led to four scientific articles.

So many runners, but therefore also so many different types of runners. Taking that into consideration, it might be smart to adopt assistive technology to the running type, Janssen emphasizes. "So, not a watch for everyone. Fun for the advanced runner or the athlete, but a novice runner can't do anything with those fancy features that generate an overload of data. Before we get to there, we need a good foundation or guidance first.”