Something strange in SR4/SR4A, Seeking a rationale Options

[Penta]

Okay....While going over things with one of my players, we noticed something odd last night.

Previously, I (and he) had figured Running and the Athletics group were mostly linked to Body.

Upon another look at SR4A, we discovered that Running is linked to Strength.

As my player put it: "This means that a bodybuilder is a better runner than an endurance trainer".

Which seems sort of backwards.

Can someone posit a rationale for the linkaage? Because...I can't figure out how running is linked with strength.

[Muspellsheimr]

The Running skill primarily affects the speed at which you travel, which is why it is Strength-based.

The amount of time you can run is based primarily on your Body.

Fatigue Damage
No one can run forever. After a period of sprinting, even the most conditioned athlete begins
to slow down. These fatigue rules simulate this phenomenon.

A character can sprint for a number of turns equal to his Body plus the hits on a
Running (Long Distance) + Strength Test before he or she begins to lose steam. If the character
continues to run beyond this base period, he or she begins taking 1 box of Stun damage
each Combat Turn from fatigue; this damage cannot be resisted.

If a character is merely jogging along at his base running rate instead of sprinting, the
gamemaster should increase the base period to (Body + hits) x 2 minutes, and only apply 1
box of fatigue Stun damage each time that period passes (rather than each Combat Turn)

The maximum amount of fatigue that can be taken is 6 boxes of Stun. After that point,
the character must make a Body + Willpower (2) Test each Combat Turn (sprinting) or
Body + hits minutes (jogging). If the character fails, he collapses from exhaustion and is
simply unable to continue any sort of strenuous activity until he rests.

[Smokeskin]

Sprinters do look like bodybuilders because it is about strength.

[Daylen]

and alot of marathon runners look anemic.

[BetaFlame]

If you read the description for Running in SR, it is clearly about Marathon instead of sprinting.

"...increase the distance a character can run, as well as determine how well she can pace herself..."

[Patrick the Gnom...]

If you read the description for Running in SR, it is clearly about Marathon instead of sprinting.

"...increase the distance a character can run, as well as determine how well she can pace herself..."

Yes, because the running skill is used for both increasing the distance a character can run per IP (as a sprint and Str based) and determining how long a character can run (as a jog and Body based).