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Speed Hub

Speed Hub

A young woman running on a treadmill is being monitored by another individual pointing at a screen during research A young woman running on a treadmill is being monitored by another individual pointing at a screen during research
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Research and Innovation Centres and Groups
Prosiect Pengwin Research GroupCentre for Cardiovascular Research, Innovation and DevelopmentCentre for Speech, Hearing and Communication ResearchCentre for International Research into Leadership in EducationCentre for Health, Safety and EnvironmentSpeed Hub

Speed Hub, part of the Centre for Applied Sports Science & Medicine (CASSM), focuses on helping athletes improve their sprinting performance while reducing the risk of injury.

Based in the Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences, Speed Hub uses advanced biomechanics methodologies – which delve into the forces, motion and energy involved in human movement – to enhance a runner’s speed and technique.

Speed Hub represents an exciting blend of sprinting research and real-world applications, collaborating with national sports governing bodies, individual track and field athletes, and those across a broad range of team sports. It also has active research collaborations with the University of Bath and Matej Bel University in Slovakia.

Read the Football Association of Wales’ Centre for Football Research Annual Report to get a flavour of the kind of work Speed Hub is involved in.

Key partnerships

England Athletics Logo

England Athletics

Ukranian Athletics Federation Logo

Ukrainian Athletics Federation

Football Association of Wales (FAW) Logo

Football Association of Wales

Matej Bel University Logo

Matej Bel University

University of Bath Logo

University of Bath

Research and testing equipment

Speed Hub assesses athletes and conducts its research in the Biomechanics Department, part of the National Indoor Athletics Centre (NIAC).

The equipment they use to carry out this work includes:

  • state-of-the-art Vicon Vantage and Theia markerless motion capture systems
  • a MuscleLab LaserSpeed gun for measuring running velocity
  • eight Kistler force plates embedded within the athletics track
  • high-speed cameras for qualitative technical analysis

They can conduct testing on the NIAC outdoor athletics track or travel to a venue closer to you.

Key staff

Dr Ian Bezodis

Get a sprinting assessment or bespoke training programme

Using the specialist equipment within the NIAC, Speed Hub works with teams and individual athletes to test their sprinting and offers feedback on how they can:

  • modify their training
  • improve their sprinting performance
  • reduce the risk of injury
  • bounce back after an injury

Speed Hub also works with coaches from sporting clubs, national and international organisations – such as England Athletics and the Football Association of Wales – to design specialised training programmes. 

Email speedhub@cardifmet.ac.uk to learn more or book a session.

Supporting Ukrainian athletes

Speed Hub previously hosted the Ukrainian national men’s 4x100 metre relay team for a training camp ahead of the European Athletics Championships. This work laid the foundation for an ongoing collaboration with the Ukrainian Athletics Federation.

Part of the University’s mission to demonstrate support to the people of Ukraine, the team were provided with free accommodation, meals, physiotherapy and sport science assistance.

Coverage of Speed Hub’s work with the Ukrainian squad was featured in:

Latest publications

View Dr Ian Bezodis' latest publications to find more research from the Speed Hub.