What is Running Form?

I talk about 'Form' in a lot of my training logs as kind of a nebulous thing that seems to always need to be improved but, what does this crazy runner jargon mean?



Click to view larger

The term 'Running Form' refers to your body's motion while running. Having 'Good Running Form' means that you are running in the most efficient manner you can so that you're not wasting or using unnecessary amounts of energy and, you're also not exerting unnecessary forces to your legs and body that could cause injury over time.

I found this video over on HowCast.com that explains good form pretty well.


There is a debate in the running community on whether it is worth it to try altering your running form. I found a nice article on RunnersWorld.com that describes this debate in pretty good depth, from medical professional and elite coach and athlete perspectives and experiences. It is a little long though, so I'll try to summarize the topic. There seem to be two sides to the discussion. Proponents of running the way your own body mechanics feel right with traditional running shoes vs. mid to forefoot running in more minimal shoes with a more controlled forward momentum.

I seem to fall somewhere in the middle of these extremes. I believe, doing what you can to strengthen your body (core, hips, legs, and even arms) is valuable and is the main factor to achieving good form for your body.
Stride: Strengthening your core, hips, and other stabilizer muscles should allow you to achieve a stride that is close to the body and that lands on the mid foot reducing harsh forces in your legs and joints.
Posture: Keeping a strong back and core should allow you to have a tall and straight torso while running. This will in turn allow you to breath well and take in as much air as possible.
Arm swing: Strengthening your core and arms will prevent your arms from swinging across your body causing unnecessary twisting and wasted energy. Relaxed arms swinging at the top of your hip bones will also allow you to breath easier with an open and forward chest.

Being conscious of how you feel is valuable. I struggle with figuring out the right balance in my own runs. You don't want to try to alter your running form too fast because this can backfire and cause injury instead of prevent it. But be conscious of any extra muscle tension you have in your body while running. Altering your form is going to take effort and feel slightly strange but you don't want to over do it. For a short and sweet article summary check out this article that I also thought was valuable description of what Good Running Form is.

Some thing else that has been added to my training now that I've moved to Charlotte from the flat lands of the coast is hills. I love the beautiful varied terrain but I have noticed soreness and worry about some muscle imbalances when going up and down hill. These hills are what initiated my recent research on form. RunnersWorld.com has a pretty basic but helpful video that describes what changes you should make when running up or down hill.