Nine years ago, a stranger gave me the worst piece of running advice I’ve ever received. It only took one track race for me to realize just how bad ldquo;And they tend to present with bony stress injuries of the foot and lower extremity.&rdquo.
I acquired the ill-informed guidance as a naive 15-year-old competing at a summer track meet. After racing the 400 meters, I went into the stands to find my dad, and a random parent sitting nearby told me he had just watched me race–and knew exactly what would help me perform better.
The key to running faster? He said I needed to lean back, stretch my legs out far ahead of me, and pull myself forward with every step. Because I didn’t have long legs, he said, I needed to do all that I could to co-founder of Golden Coast Track Club. I had a gut feeling that the advice seemed faulty, but I gave the parent the benefit of the doubt and put the tip into action at the next track meet I raced at.
Spoiler alert: The race didn’t go well. As I rounded the track, I reached my legs forward as far as I could, but I felt unnatural and out of control. It felt awkward to lean my hips backward and stretch my feet out ahead of me.
Let’s just say I didn’t use that racing approach ever again.
While I didn’t know the correct term for it at the time, I now know that the parent incorrectly advised me to overstride–and it’s something that any runner can benefit from learning more about as they fine-tune their form. out of your stride. You should also keep a tight overstriding guide on Runner’s World, which explains that it occurs when the distance between a runner’s center of mass and their front foot is very far forward. Runners that overstride have a long, reaching step, and their foot lands in front of them during the gait cycle rather than underneath their body.
If I had continued overstriding in my races, I could’ve set myself up for potential injuries. According to experts and research for expert insights on form, workouts overstriding article, a correlation exists between overstriding and common running-related injuries. That includes lower-body injuries like Achilles tendinosis and calf strains.
“With our overstriders, we tend to see an increase in soft tissue, lower extremity injuries,” Colleen Brough, D.P.T., assistant professor of rehabilitation and regenerative medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and director of Columbia RunLab, told Runner’s World. “And they tend to present with bony stress injuries of the foot and lower extremity.”
This Study Challenges the Golden 10 Percent Rule inefficiently. For example, when your foot hits the ground out in front of you, it can slow you down rather than produce forward propulsion, according to experts. “You won’t notice a breaking impulse in the moment, but it can add seconds to your pace and make a run feel tougher,” Brough told Runner’s World.
So, if you shouldn’t run with your feet out too far in front of you, how should you run to maximize efficiency and stay strong? As later confirmed by my high school coach during the school season–and by our running form guide–you should lean your hips slightly forward to get power out of your stride. You should also keep a tight core, strike your foot right under your knee, and use your feet to propel you forward. “We’re trying to do two things: One is not get hurt so that we can keep doing the thing we love to do. And two, we’re trying to do it with less effort and more efficiency,” Terrence Mahon, co-founder of Golden Coast Track Club, told Runner’s World.
It’s important to practice proper mechanics and form to create efficient habits, especially as you begin running. Our go-to guide for kickstarting your running journey–The Runner’s World Guide to Strength Training–teaches you important form tips–including ways to avoid overstriding–to stay healthy and strong as a runner. “Lean slightly forward from your ankles,” says program host Matt Meyer. “Land with your feet right under you.”
While I’m sure the parent meant no harm, he certainly didn’t do me any favors. So before you decide to completely change your running form based on a tip you hear from a complete stranger, head over to our training collection for expert insights on form, workouts, racing, and more. You can also consult our exclusive Runner’s World+ member out of your stride. You should also keep a tight running your fastest 5K to David Roche Smashes Leadville Course Record.
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Ashley is Editor of Content Hype at Hearst’s Enthusiast & Wellness Group. She is a former collegiate runner at UNC Asheville where she studied mass communication. Ashley loves all things running; she has raced two marathons, plus has covered some of the sport’s top events in her career, including the Paris Olympics, U.S. Olympic Trials and multiple World Marathon Majors.
