The purpose of the study was to investigate the kinematic and kinetic parameters associated with high-speed backward running (BR). Thirty male subjects from two groups (15 Elite who used BR during athletic competition and 15 Athletic habitual runners) performed running trials for each of the following conditions:​ maximum velocity BR (BRmax), 80% of maximum BR, 60% of m axim um BR, maxim um velocity forward running and FR (FRmax) at a velocity equal to BRmax. Sagittal view high speed video (200 Hz) and force platform data (1000 Hz) were obtained and the following parameters were evaluated:​ stride length, stride frequency, intrinsic support length, stance time, trunk angle, hip, knee and ankle ranges of motion, hip, knee and ankle angular velocities, vertical oscillation, impact peak, time to impact peak, loading rate, active peak, time to active peak, initial anterior-posterior (A-P) peak, and final A-P braking force. Separate repeated measures ANOVAs were conducted to compare a) BR velocity conditions, b) equal efforts for BR and FR, and c) equal velocities for BR and FR.

Results indicated that as BR velocity increased, 63% of the parameter values increased linearly. Intrinsic support length, ankle range of motion, knee angular velocity and impact peak time (as a percentage of stance time) did not change. Stance time, vertical oscillations, and active peak time (as a percentage of stance time) decreased linearly. Seventy percent of the FRmax parameter values were greater than BRmax values, with the following exceptions:​ stride frequency, stance time, hip angular velocity at toe-off and active peak time. In addition, trunk angle at ground contact and active peak time (as a percentage of stance time) showed no significant differences. Equal velocity BR and FR were fairly evenly split between greater and lesser value parameters, with 21% of the comparisons indicating no significant differences. For all conditions, the Elite group averaged an 87% greater velocity than the Athletic group. Independent of velocity, the following parameters could explain the greater Elite group velocities:​ stride length, intrinsic support length, time to impact peak, loading rate, active peak, time to active peak and initial A-P peak.