Teacher Runs Half-Marathon Backward

Richard Strasbourg is hoping his finish in Sunday's Ole Man River Run half-marathon in New Orleans will qualify him for a world record. He wasn't the fastest or youngest finisher, but Strasbourg, a 38-year-old elementary school teacher from Louisiana, was the only person who ran the entire 13.1-mile race backward. He's hoping his feat gets him into the Guinness Book of World Records. Strasbourg, a veteran runner and Montreal native, finished the race in an impressive two hours, 28 minutes and 18 seconds and will be waiting patiently for the good word from Guinness. We spoke to him about the race, training in reverse and what's next.

That's Fit: How did you ever get the idea to run a race backward?
Richard Strasbourg: Last year I was looking for [information on] whether there was a record for skipping a marathon for my friend Wanda and I found backward running. [I] never knew there was such an unusual running movement. I tried [running backward for] one lap around the track and researched backward running on the Internet. One lap became two and a mile, two miles. Back in October, I tried a 10-mile race to get a feel for running with forward runners and I loved the experience.

TF: What made you decide to go after the record?
RS: I asked Guinness if they had a male record for the half-marathon backward and they didn't, so I thought it would help me stay focused with my training if I had a date in mind for the big race. Also, I thought my students would like the idea of their French teacher going for a world record.

TF: You ran alongside friends who ran forward with you during the race. How did that help you?
RS: Well, I needed witnesses for my Guinness package, but also for my safety and the safety of other runners, I had to have someone giving me directions and warnings whenever the surface was difficult. I also had a videographer pedaling a go-cart to document the race. But really, the main reason is that I wanted runners with me for support.

TF: What's the hardest part of running backward?
RS: The hardest part of running backward is the damage to the feet. Running shoes are not built for backward running. Nothing is. So everything I used had to be the best compromise or the closest thing to comfortable. I had a lot of fun trying to find a combination of shoes and socks to save my feet! I fell once but did not suffer any injuries. The weirdest thing is that as I was watching the video, I realized I had developed a sense for avoiding obstacles. I came so close to hitting objects or stepping on debris or the curb that it's sort of bizarre. Thirteen miles is a long way to be lucky so many times.

TF: How did you train for this?
RS: I did most of my training alone on the local high school track in Thibodaux, La. and when I wanted to go longer than ten miles. I went to the levee's bicycle path around New Orleans. I had friends keeping me company sometimes. Last summer I ran around Montreal, where I spend my summer and Christmas vacations with my family. For cross-training I did jump rope and I also started doing plyometrics. All those things...keep me on my toes, like backwards running. Of course I kept running and racing forward, too.

TF: Does backward running help or hurt your forward running?
RS: I had to sacrifice more and more forward training but surprisingly, I found myself running forward faster. The more backwards running I did, the more I craved forward running, so when I stepped on a race course, I was ready to go and light on my feet.

TF: When will you hear regarding the record?
RS: I will be submitting my documents to Guinness in the next few weeks and then it's up to them. The truth is that the record is not as important as what I found in training and on the course during the race. This whole experience was one about personal growth and the human spirit, the runner's spirit.

TF: You also used your running to raise money for the American Cancer Society. How did you get involved with that program?
RS: I had been involved with the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life many times, so I contacted them about setting up a web page where people could pledge money for every mile or just donate to encourage me to keep training. They were more than happy to do that. They set a goal of $1,000 and I almost reached it.

TF: What's next for you?
RS: What's next is Christmas holidays in Montreal! After that, the Rock and Roll Mardi Gras Marathon on February 28th in New Orleans, forward of course, my fifth marathon!

TF: Will you continue to run backwards?
RS: I will certainly use backwards running as a tool in my training. I have ideas for other records that would require me to reach out for help but I will give myself time to enjoy what I accomplished and this wonderful experience before I decide what I'll do.

The race may be over, but you can still help Strasbourg raise money for the American Cancer Society.

Read about more record-setting running.