Background: Previous research has identied center of mass vertical oscillation and leg stiness as the most common variables dierentiating Natural and Groucho running techniques. The aim was to assess the inter-session reliability and inter-technique sensitivity of synchronized inertial measurement units and contact grids in quantifying kinematic and kinetic dierences between Natural and Groucho running techniques. Methods: Eleven physically active and healthy males ran at a speed 50% higher than transition speed. Two sessions for Natural and two for Groucho running were performed, each lasting 1 min. Results: Most variables exhibited a similar inter-session reliability across running techniques, except contact time and center of mass vertical displacement, ranging from moderate to good (ICC = 0.538–0.897). A statistically signicant dierence between running techniques was found for all variables (p < 0.05), except for contact time and center of mass vertical oscillation (p > 0.05), likely due to inconsistency in reliability depending on the running technique, which may have covered the underlying dierences. Conclusions: We can conclude that the combination of synchronized inertial measurement units and contact grids showed potentially acceptable reliability and sucient sensitivity to recognize and dierentiate between Natural and Groucho running techniques. The results may contribute to a broader understanding of the dierences between these two running techniques and encourage the increased use of these devices within therapeutic, recreational, and sports running contexts.
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