Proper Running Form | Quick Tips For Running Gait Assessment

Proper running form and quick tips for running gait assessment is not only important for distance running and trail running but running of all types. Whether you are training for a marathon, half marathon, 10k, 5k, or even shorter race you will find value in this post.

This post covers overstriding and how to determine if you overstride. It also covers vertical displacement and what too little or too much vertical displacement looks like.

If you are more interested in seeing a video on this topic, you can check out our YouTube channel here:

What is Overstriding?

There are different opinions about what a “true overstride” is. This is how we simply it. Overstriding is when your initial contact (the moment your lead foot hits the ground) is out in front of your knee (see image 1). Often this causes your initial contact to be far from your center of mass (see image 1). It often looks like the runner is “reaching” with their foot as they run. It can also lead to a very pronounced rearfoot strike.

Image 1. Overstride

A rearfoot strike is not necessarily a bad thing… but we will discuss that another time.

Overstriding however, does increase stress through your ankles, knees, hips, low back, etc. It can increase your breaking force, decrease your efficiency, and lead to injury. Needless to say overstriding is not great for a runner.

What does it look like to not overstride?

A good stride occurs when the runner contacts the ground with there foot underneath their knee (their shin bone is perpendicular to the ground). This helps to decrease stress on the runners body and provides for more efficient propulsion forward. This often causes the runners initial contact to be closer to their center of mass. Image 2 is a good example of a good stride.

Image 2. Good stride

Why does Overstriding happen?

There are many reasons why a runner may overstride. Here are a few:

1. The runner is fatigued and trying to maintain the same speed.

2. The runner has ingrained a pattern of running into their nervous system that leads to overstriding.

3. The runner has specific muscle tightness or weakness that is leading to this gait fault.

Important Distinction: Overstriding IS NOT just having a long stride. You can have a long stride and NOT be overstriding. Some of the best runners in the world have a very long stride length, but most do not overstride. Speed = stride length x cadence (step rate). So while overstriding is not good, a long stride length can be very good for improving your speed.

Is understriding a big deal?

Understriding can be a big deal! Understriding happens when a runner does not take a long enough stride. This can look like the runner is almost walking instead of running. Their foot will land too close to their body and they will not be propelling themselves forward as effectively.  It will result in decreased speed and running efficiency but may not be an important factor when talking about injury risk.

How do I avoid overstriding or understriding? 

Stay tuned for our next post on this topic :) 

What is Vertical Displacement?

Vertical displacement is the height difference between a runner's center of mass at their lowest point in the gait cycle (mid stance) and the highest point in the gait cycle (mid flight).

Why is vertical displacement important?

This may seem basic, but the goal of running is to propel yourself forward. Vertical displacement is propelling yourself upward. It is completely necessary to have vertical displacement because otherwise you will not get ground clearance and will not effectively move forward. However, too much vertical displacement can result in wasted time and energy moving the body upward instead of forward. Too little vertical displacement results in decreased push off and propulsion forward. 

Excessively high vertical displacement looks like the runner is bounding or jumping with each stride. It results in a greater distance between the runners center of mass at their lowest and highest point (see image 3 - we use the top of the runner’s head when estimating this because it is easier to see… the runners center of mass will generally be closer to their pelvis or belly button). 

Image 3. High Vertical Displacement

Excessively low vertical displacement looks like the runner is shuffling or gliding across the ground with each stride. It results in a smaller distance between the runners center of mass at their lowest and highest point (see image 4).

Image 4. Low Vertical Displacement

For a runner, the key is to find something in the middle that both provides the appropriate ground clearance and propulsion, but does not cause excessive displacement upward. I will discuss ways to effectively do this in future posts.

Both stride and vertical displacement are important aspects of a runners form to be aware of. Overstriding can increase a runners injury risk and decrease their running efficiency. Understiding can decrease a runner’s efficiency and speed. Excessively high vertical displacement can result in decreased running efficiency and increased stress on the body. Excessively low vertical displacement can result in decreased running efficiency and decreased speed.

Ultimately, every runner is unique and finding a running posture that feels best for your body and provides you with your optimal biomechanics will result in the best balance between improving your running efficiency and speed and decreasing your injury risk. As this series of running form tips continues, we will dive into ways runners can optimize their stride and vertical displacement for these purposes.

Downhill Running Tips for Confident Trail Running

Running downhill with confidence is something many runners struggle with. Here we will give you some running tips to help decrease your risk of injury and improve your understanding about downhill and trail running.

How does downhill running affect your body?

Running downhill increases ground reaction forces on your body which can increase your injury risk (especially if your body is not ready for those forces). This is a fancy way of saying there is more stress placed on your body when running downhill. More stress on your body occurs because when running downhill you are “falling” forward off a surface higher than the one you are falling to every time you take a downhill stride. The longer you have to "fall" (the steeper the hill), the more speed gravity will cause you to "fall" with. More speed will cause greater force through your body when you land.

Think about it this way. If you are jumping off a platform to the ground, the taller the platform is, the faster you will be going when you hit the ground. The faster you are going the more force you will hit the ground with. The more force you hit the ground with, the greater stress your body needs to be able to absorb to prevent an injury.

What muscles need to be stronger to help absorb the forces generated during downhill running to help prevent injury?

Research suggests that running down hill increase stress on your quadriceps (muscles on the front of your thigh), your tibialis anterior (muscle on the front of your shin), and your gluteal muscles/hamstrings (the muscles on the back of your legs and butt).

Increased stress on muscles can results in a few different things depending on the state your body is in:

1. If your muscles are strong, have good endurance, and are ready to accept the stress, they will help absorb the extra stress well and you will successfully run downhill without issue.

2. If your muscles are not strong or ready to accept the stress of running downhill they will either try to absorb the stress and over-work resulting in an musculature injury AND/OR they will pass more of the stress to other structures in the body (joints, tendons, and ligaments etc) putting those "passive" structures at greater risk for degeneration or injury.

How do I get my muscles and joints ready for the stress of downhill running?

1. Strengthen and stabilize your body/muscles with specific strengthening and stability exercises that mimic downhill running.

   Build endurance in your muscles by repetitively performing these exercises with high repetitions to prepare the body for the repetitive nature of running.

   Preparing your muscles for the stress they will be put under during downhill running will help them be ready to absorb the forces generated during downhill running. This will help prevent the muscles and other body structures from being overloaded and injured during downhill running.

   Here is a link to one of our videos that provides examples of exercises to accomplish #1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc4QXA4JsxI

2. Run downhill! (but start with easy downhill running).

Try low grade downhills (small hills) for short periods of time and gradually work up to steeper longer downhills. This give your muscles, ligaments, tendons, joints etc. time to build up a tolerance for downhill running stress and will help prevent injury.

How does downhill running change your running form?

Running downhill increases your impulse to land on your heels and "break" to help slow yourself down. This breaking impulse can cause you to over-stride and us and excessive heel strike which can cause increased stress on your body.

Learning to maintain a bodies natural forward lean (as opposed to leaning backwards) can help decrease this breaking impulse and improve your downhill running form.

This video linked above has a running form drill to help with this.

It is important to note that running downhill will naturally cause changes in running form which is totally normal. Landing on your heels to break and slow yourself down so you don't end up running off a ledge or into a cactus is a good thing. BUT trying to maximize your form and run confidently on the portions of a downhill run that you are able to without risking falling or injury will help decrease stress on your body.

Learn 3 key techniques you can add to your running form:

Quickly reduce injury risk. Increase your speed & efficiency