On September 24, 2023, Tigst Assefa flew through the Brandenburg Gate towards the finish line of the Berlin marathon, startlingly fast even at a glance; stunningly fast according to the clock. How? I can’t speak to all the factors involved in her performance. However I can speak to her running form and what it suggests. ... Read more The post Tigst Assefa Berlin Marathon 2023 World Record Running Form Analysis appeared first on The Balanced Runner ..read more

How you should swing your arms tends to be an afterthought when running. You probably think of things like footstrike, core, posture, cadence, and so forth instead. That’s a mistake, since your running form is a whole-body cycle of events driven by your relationship to gravity. And in gravity, the higher up in your body ... Read more The post How You Should Swing Your Arms When Running | The Balanced Runner Keys Series appeared first on The Balanced Runner ..read more

This post was originally written for International Barefoot Running Day, May 6, 2014. Happy Barefoot Running Day! As long-term readers of this blog will know, I run barefoot most of the time but help runners run comfortably in whatever footwear they prefer. The main reason I run barefoot is the enormous pleasure it gives me ... Read more The post Barefoot Running: All Running Form is Good Running Form appeared first on The Balanced Runner ..read more

If you’ve given even a moment’s thought to your running form in the past two decades, it was probably either to your footstrike or to your core.  My previous two posts in this series on The Balanced Runner Keys addressed the issue of footstrike; now it’s time to talk about core stability and running. The ... Read more The post The Balanced Runner Keys Series: Core Stability and Running–Get Your Core in Action! appeared first on The Balanced Runner ..read more

In my previous post in this series I explained how our footstrike obsession interferes with developing better running form and why we must move beyond it. The Balanced Runner Key #2, land with a supple leg, which was the focus of that post, is one alternative sensation that will lead you towards optimizing your footstrike ... Read more The post The Balanced Runner Keys Series: Align Your Foot Below Your Hip in Midstance appeared first on The Balanced Runner ..read more

For years – since roughly 2004, in fact – I’ve been telling people to avoid heelstriking and overstriding, and instead to aim for a midfoot/forefoot footstrike underneath you. In many quarters this is considered to be the very heart of good running form, especially since Daniel Lieberman’s well-known research supports it. For a quick overview ... Read more The post Balanced Runner Keys Series: Land with a Supple Leg to Optimize Your Footstrike appeared first on The Balanced Runner ..read more

In an earlier post I explained some of the basics about why and how to lean forward when you run. Now it’s time to go more into depth on this lean – how to do it, when a “bad lean” is actually a good lean, and why I now recommend you actually don’t lean forward ... Read more The post Balanced Runner Keys Series: Actually, Don’t Lean Forward from your Ankles–Part 2 appeared first on The Balanced Runner ..read more

When I was a dancer trying to learn how to run, my first great breakthrough was when I suddenly discovered how to lean forward from my ankles. That was when I went from bounding along uncomfortably to feeling smooth and enjoying myself. My second great breakthrough was when I suddenly learned how to lean even ... Read more The post Balanced Runner Keys Series: Lean Forward from your Ankles – Part 1 appeared first on The Balanced Runner ..read more

Would you like a simple set of guidelines to good running form that would help you feel healthier, faster, more efficient, more joyful, and more naturally connected to the world around you? Although human movement is complex and each person’s body, history, and learning process is different, I’ve been working on formulating the basic keys ... Read more The post Good Running Form: Learn to Become a Balanced Runner™ appeared first on The Balanced Runner ..read more

One of the questions we hear all the time from runners is, “How can I tell if I overstride? I’m not sure what I’m actually doing when I run.” Reading about running form, watching YouTube videos, and so forth may help you become well-informed about running but it doesn’t improve your ability to feel your ... Read more The post How To Tell If You Overstride appeared first on The Balanced Runner ..read more