The Physics behind Wall Running

April 24, 2017
    According to the Guinness World Records, the record for the highest vertical wall run is 13 ft 1 in. This was achieved by Erwan Suquet from France. When trying to break a world record, you want as much of an advantage as you can get. With wall running that means you want the friction between your shoes and the surface to be as high as possible, and you want to also be moving as fast as possible and jump at the right angle.

    “Scaling brick walls and buildings requires a substantial amount of friction between a runner's sneakers and the climbing surface in question”(Kelliher). To get as high as possible, traceurs have to apply as much force as they can at a downward angle into the wall to propel themselves upward. The frictional force that they create is proportional to the surface of their shoe pressed against the wall


Image from https://www.wired.com/2012/07/can-you-run-up-a-wall/
 

    The direction frictional force exerted by the traceur is parallel to the wall. The μs is a coefficient that is determined by what two types of materials are being rubbed together. The N is the normal force, or the force one surface pushes onto the other, which is perpendicular to the wall. Imagine you take a book and you press it against the wall. If you pressed your hand exactly perpendicular to the wall, the book still wouldn't fall.


Image from https://www.wired.com/2012/07/can-you-run-up-a-wall/

    The frictional force on the book is what keeps it from falling. If there was some how no friction, no matter how hard you pushed, if you stayed perpendicular to the book, the book would fall.


    Running up a wall is a little different than holding a book in that nothing is constantly pushing you against the wall. In order to get any frictional force, you need a normal force, and that has to be by accelerating away from the wall as you are running up it.



Image from https://www.wired.com/2012/07/can-you-run-up-a-wall/


Kelliher, S. (2013, January 28). Physics of Parkour. Retrieved April 24, 2017, from http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/physics-parkour-14088.html


Most of the information on this page was found at https://www.wired.com/2012/07/can-you-run-up-a-wall/