running technique

Just reading an email from the London Marathon.....in the training tips it says:
Is it possible to improve my running by changing my technique?

''There are numerous running styles. While it is easy to adopt your own style, there is a right way and a wrong way to run. You should never bring your foot flat down, but instead hit the ground with your heel first and then your toes.''

umm....is that right?????????

No. Lot's of people run that way but many others land on their mid-foot or on their fore-foot. You wont see many runners at the Olympics landing on their heels.

I thought I was reading it wrong, are we still in the 1970's? Surely, they should be advising people to move to fore-foot running or mid?
Very dubious advise from them.......
I thought it must be April 1st

I haven't seen the email but it does sound a bit dodgy!

daisydoodoo wrote (see)

''There are numerous running styles. While it is easy to adopt your own style, there is a right way and a wrong way to run. You should never bring your foot flat down, but instead hit the ground with your heel first and then your toes.''

What fantastic advice!  I can just imagine someone who is a heel-striker - but who thinks they land flat-footed - trying to run with more of a heel-strike cos like what the experts told them to.

Is this a joke?

PhilPub wrote (see)

daisydoodoo wrote (see)

''There are numerous running styles. While it is easy to adopt your own style, there is a right way and a wrong way to run. You should never bring your foot flat down, but instead hit the ground with your heel first and then your toes.''

What fantastic advice!  I can just imagine someone who is a heel-striker - but who thinks they land flat-footed - trying to run with more of a heel-strike cos like what the experts told them to.

Is this a joke?

Sadly not. Genuine content inside an email from the world's greatest marathon lol.

Oh well, If I see loads of runners with red laces overstriding for England, at least I'll know what's going on!

Kryten wrote (see)

No. Lot's of people run that way but many others land on their mid-foot or on their fore-foot. You wont see many runners at the Olympics landing on their heels.

I thought the thing was that most runners would mid or fore foot strike IF they were running at Olympic-type speeds.  In other words, your strike point will move forward on the foot the faster you run.

I know that if I am jogging along, I'll heel strike, whereas if I sprint flat-out then i'm on my toes

Yes, you're right - its hard to run really fast without switching to mid-foot or fore-foot striking and actually sprinting means being on your toes. But lots of people, including me, land on their mid-foot even when running slowly.

most people won't be sprinting much in the marathon.......

but i still think its wrong to try and get people to change their running technique when they are just everyday runners unless they are having problems......

the majority of us should just run whatever way feels natural to us...

heel striking?

Really?

There is no right or wrong way to run. Just run in the way that comes naturally to you.

Running is a skill.

dibbers wrote (see)

Running is a skill.

...which most people learn before they know how to use the toilet.

Running is a skill which most people never really learn. You run the way that is the easiest for your body. Your body will always take the path of least resistance which is often not the most effective.

Improving your running technique can make a big difference but can be difficult to do.

Regarding the heel strike advice - whilst it isnt the best advice you may be suprised to see that around 75% of elite marathon runners "heel strike". How you define heel strike is open to debate - the first point of contact with the ground or the point where the largest landing force occurs - the two are very different.


There is definitely a right way and wrong way to run and it doesnt just came naturally to you. The path of least resistance way comes naturally for you. There is no universal right way for everyone to run as every body is different but there is almost always a more efficient and effective way to run for your body.

The thought process that if you arent having problems then dont worry about it is flawed because even though you arent having problems now doesnt mean that your running style is ok, it simply means that for the time being your body is compensating ok. Eventually you may break down and wonder why that happened. Accumulated stress put on the body by a poor running technique has taken its toll.

I would also argue that working on your technique when you first start running is a far better way to go than waiting years before you exhaust every other area of improvement. The more bad habits you get into now the harder it will be to change later.

There is much argument about where your foot should hit the ground and it depends on what kind of shoe you are wearing, the bigger the support under your heel the more likely you are to hell strike. What is far more important is that your foot lands underneath or very slightly ahead of your centre of gravity. Any further forward and you are applying a breaking force with every stride.

If you do nothing more than listen to the sound of your feet and try and run as lightly as possible that will help. There is plenty more you can focus on and plenty more you can do to change your running style but thats a start

Thank you andrew DuBois