Running in kiteboarding

Kiteboarding has tremendously increased in popularity over the last two decades, and the Formula Kite format will debut for the first time at the Summer Olympic Games of Paris 2024. Kiteboarding is a situational sport and requires moderate to intense activity involving aerobic and anaerobic metabolisms, and running has a crucial role in the specific physical preparation. In training for kiteboarding, running is preferred to other aerobic activities because it involves the same kinetic chains and because of its simplicity of administration. Running is often included in kiteboarding as part of specific interval training programmes aiming to improve general resistance and increase the VO2 max, which is critical for kiteboarding competitions. Specifically, a training programme for the aerobic component dedicated to advanced and competitive athletes should include running rhythmic exercises, uphill running and fractional aerobic power. Running training should also be adapted to the specific needs of kiters in terms of speed and balance. Suitable predictive models and monitoring applicable to running training in each kiteboarding discipline should be defined through specific studies. Preventive strategies involve avoiding functional overload on the lower limbs’ joints, potentially caused by the cumulative stress from running and kiteboarding, to avoid overuse injuries.