What is freerunning?
Parkour's creative side. The same vaults, jumps and wall work, with flips, spins and personal style added in.
- Named in the early 2000s
- Built on parkour
- Ages 7 to adult
Same obstacles, new questions.
Parkour asks for the most efficient way through. Freerunning asks for the most expressive one. Two athletes can answer the same obstacle in different ways, and both can be right.
Freerunners link flips, spins and tricks into one continuous run, so movement starts to work like a language.
It is expressive, social and a big confidence builder, which is why so many youth and teen athletes fall for it.
A short history.
Sébastien Foucan, one of parkour's original practitioners, named freerunning in the early 2000s. He wanted a word that put freedom and self-expression ahead of pure efficiency.
1990s
Shared beginnings
Foucan trains with the first generation of traceurs around Lisses and Évry.
2003
Jump London
The documentary introduces the word to an international audience.
2000s to 2010s
A visual culture
Films, commercials and online edits spread flips, combinations and flow worldwide.
Today
Style keeps evolving
Jams, pro performance and competitions, with individuality still the goal.
The core ideas.
Creative freedom
There is no single right way. Your choices are the point.
Flow
Moves connect without stopping, from one obstacle to the next.
Personal style
A run should look like the athlete who did it.
Built on control
Flips come only after landings and fundamentals are solid.
How HUB teaches it.
Freerunning sits on top of parkour fundamentals, so we teach them together. Coaches introduce tricks in careful progressions, with mats and a foam pit for a soft landing while a new move is still new.
Find your style.
Most freerunners start in a parkour class and discover tricks from there. Book a first visit and a coach will help you pick.