Having read "Born to Run" many years ago, I bought into the hype from the book about barefoot running and that heel striking is bad, which is a large part of the book's narrative (great backstory on the race, the science is debatable though as you'll see!!) Following up a couple of years later, the author Chris McDougall clarified his intent further by saying "The 'one best way’ isn’t about footwear." Nothing to do with the legal case that followed of course, "It’s about form." So maybe don't go barefoot, he was saying we need to run better. But is there a perfect running or better form?
One simple problem is that no one could agree on what a perfect running form looks like and which parts matter most. Enter a group of scientists, specialising in biomechanics, who pooled all the existing data we have on running form. Great news, now we should have an answer, right?
This study focussed on running economy, in simple terms how much energy you burn to maintain a set pace, i.e. how efficient you are, think in terms of fuel economy for your car. Their results published earlier this year in the journal Sports Medicine offer some insights on how we might run better. It always raised the question is there just one best way to run? Intriguing!!
The study was led out of the Netherlands, gathering data from 51 studies with over 1,000 participants, a lot of runners and studies. The researchers scoured the data looking for patterns and it was as much about what they didn't find. For example, your stride length, ankle knee or hip angles, ground contact time (time your foot is on the ground during the stance phase), peak vertical forces or even your muscle activation patterns, had no association with your running economy. Additionally, our old, supposed enemy the heel strike was no better or worse than mid or fore foot landing. In simple terms, this goes against what we were told all along in Born to Run and many others have also assumed.
One part did find a link between faster cadence (steps per minute) and better economy, suggesting running with a slightly faster cadence for some, may improve running economy, although this has been endlessly debated since the "180 cadence is best" was first mentioned many years ago. The key thing is your cadence is a function of your stride length and pace and will vary individually. Don't try to hit a set value.
Additionally, it was found less vertical oscillation (think bounce up), and legs that acted like stiffer springs (leg spring stiffness) helped with running economy. This can be developed through plyometrics, skipping, hopping and jumping and is worth considering adding these to your training program.
I don’t think there will be an identifiable ‘good form’ that fits everyone
But what about those who seem to run effortlessly and on the face of it, have what we think looks like a great running form? Unfortunately, again the evidence doesn't support that, just because your running form looks good, you are economical. Even the coaches can't pick it, the irony. 121 coaches were sent clips of five runners and asked to rank the runners for economy, based on what they saw and how well they thought their running form was. Guess what, the coaches were useless at this and failed to correctly rank the runners, regardless of the coach's experience and field of speciality in running.
Very simply, we have plenty of data and yet the human body has too much variety, we are all different! Different shapes, and sizes of our legs, bones, muscles and tendons and how we have developed throughout our lives. To quote one of the researchers, “I don’t think there will be an identifiable ‘good form’ that fits everyone.”
We might be optimising our running form for reasons beyond efficiency. While conserving energy can make you faster, many runners prioritise injury risk reduction and prevention. The running form we naturally take may partly be guided by an instinct to avoid overloading certain muscles or tendons. Additionally, trying to micromanage your stride can come at a cost. Several studies have shown that simply focusing on form, rather than letting your mind relax, can reduce your running economy by a few percent. Think how easy it feels when you are out running and have your favourite playlist blasting.
most people will self-optimize with sufficient training.
A great quote from the lead researcher about changing your running form is it's "not the primary factor, as most people will self-optimize with sufficient training." A key finding was we get more efficient by simply getting more experience. Watch any elite running event and you will see a myriad of running forms and styles, and all of them at the front of the pack. So, what's the takeaway? Keep it simple, just run, relax and enjoy it! Your body knows how to run.