Running Form

Form is a small, personal part of economy

Running economy is the energy it takes to run at a given steady speed, usually measured as oxygen use. There is no single technique to copy. In a 2024 meta-analysis of 51 observational studies (1,115 people), most stride measures were unrelated to economy. A higher step rate had a small association with lower energy cost, and so did a smaller vertical bounce and stiffer legs, and any one measure explained only 4 to 12 percent of the differences between runners¹. These are comparisons between different runners at one point in time. They show which patterns went with better economy and do not show that changing a pattern changes it.

The gains in economy come from elsewhere. The best-tested change is heavy lifting (see the guide on strength training for runners), and the guide on running economy covers the rest.

Footstrike

Footstrike is the part of the foot that lands first: the heel (rearfoot strike), the middle of the foot (midfoot) or the ball of the foot (forefoot). Leave yours as it is. A 2020 review of 53 studies found limited evidence that economy did not differ between habitual heel strikers and other runners, and that economy was worse in the short term when a non-heel-strike pattern was imposed on heel strikers. A 2022 meta-analysis found low-certainty evidence from three trials that retraining to a non-heel strike over weeks did not alter economy²³. Changing it has not been shown to make you faster.

Changing it does move the load. In the same 2020 review, non-heel striking went with lower vertical loading rates and less stress behind the kneecap, and with more load on the ankle and the calf muscles. It found retrospective data suggesting fewer repetitive stress injuries in non-heel strikers, no prospective studies, and concluded that changing strike pattern is not advised for an uninjured heel striker². If you try it for a sore knee, you are trading knee load for calf and ankle load, so move toward it in small steps and have new calf or Achilles pain checked (see the guides on runner's knee and Achilles tendinopathy).

Where the foot lands

The better-supported cue is how far in front of your body the foot lands. A 2015 treadmill study of 14 runners at five imposed stride frequencies found that landing with the foot further in front of the hip went with larger braking forces, and landing further in front of the knee went with higher vertical impact peaks. At higher stride frequencies the foot landed closer to the hip, and the authors suggested a relatively vertical shin at landing⁴. If you land with your foot well ahead of you, a quicker, shorter step puts it back under you. The guide on running cadence covers step rate.

Retraining the way you land

Gait retraining is a tool for injury risk and not for speed. A 2022 meta-analysis of 19 trials (673 distance runners) found that step rate retraining raised step rate and lowered the average vertical loading rate (moderate-certainty evidence), and that retraining several features at once did not change economy (low certainty). It reported that two trials showed fewer injuries over one year, and it concluded that gait retraining did not affect running performance³. If you have a recurring impact-type injury, a clinician or coach who can give you feedback on your landing is the route. If you are healthy, there is nothing here to chase.

Forward lean

Lean slightly and do not force it. In 16 healthy young adults on a treadmill, running with more forward lean, up to about 8 degrees, raised the energy cost by 8 percent. The cost was similar whether the runner leaned from the ankles or from the waist, and the authors suggested a more upright or moderate lean may be more economical⁵. Stay tall, lean slightly from the ankles, and let the lean come naturally on a hill.

What to do instead

Three things are worth a look in a healthy runner: posture, where your foot lands relative to your body and step rate. Everything else is better improved indirectly.

• Add strides regularly (see the guide on strides) so quick, relaxed running feels familiar.
• Lift heavy once or twice a week. It builds the economy that a form change cannot promise.
• Keep your posture upright, your feet landing under you with a quick, light touch, and a slight forward lean, especially uphill.
• If you change one of these, change one thing, in small steps, and give it months. Form usually feels worse before it feels better.