Posted: September 17, 2004

Athletics: Running Posture

From Swim, Bike, Run by Wesley Hobson, Clark Campbell, Michael Vickers

The next time you get a chance to watch Michael Johnson run the 200 or 400, pay close attention to his running posture. You’ll notice that his upper body is so upright that he seems almost to be leaning backward. His hips seem thrust somewhat forward, and his leg cycle is centered, or balanced, below his body. Of course, all of this is most clearly seen when you watch a film of Johnson in slow motion. In real life, his speed is just a blur.

Watch any other great sprinter, middle-distance runner, or distance runner, and you’ll see they all share the same, upright posture. They seem to float over the ground effortlessly, with grace and agility. Most novice runners lean too far forward, which results in a “putting on the brakes” effect—they must overstride to compensate for the forward body lean. Overstriding adds stress on the legs, from the pelvis down, and is a principal cause of injury. At 1,000 to 1,500 strides per mile, extra impact caused by poor posture and overstriding eventually adds up to tendon and joint problems, stress fractures, fasciitis, back problems, and other injuries.

You avoid overstriding by running with proper posture. The starting point for gaining proper posture is your hips. Focus on literally rotating, or tipping, your hips upward. Practice this while standing. Proper posture has been described as imagining your hips as a bucket filled with water; most people must rotate hips forward to keep water from spilling out of the front, so the final correct rotation of your hips should be relatively level. This rotation has the net effect of moving your upper body to vertical and your overall stride forward. This forward movement alleviates overstriding, as your stride is not “reaching” to compensate for forward body lean. It’s important to have your complete stride cycle centered below your upper body; imagine each leg cycle as a smooth circle, with exactly 50 percent of the circle in front of your body and 50 percent behind. You’ll find that along with correct posture a shorter stride facilitates this balance much easier.

Check out Michael Johnson’s stride. His stride is so short and quick you may wonder how he can be so fast. The answer is that his form is close to perfect. If you perfect your form, you’ll be faster, expend less energy, and reduce your risk of injury. When running with correct form, your gait is smooth and comfortable, with a decreased impact and a balanced stride, and your head is slightly back, up, and smooth. Always focus your eyes on the horizon or on a point about 50 feet in front of you, not on the ground at your feet. Head position is very important to maintaining good posture, along with pulling your shoulders back. The first signs of fatigue are drooping head and shoulders (watch novice runners toward the end of a marathon); this impairs your overall posture and efficiency.

Moving down the body, the arms should be relaxed while maintaining a ninety-degree elbow bend. Hands are held partially open or in a relaxed fist and move forward and backward in the direction you are going, not side to side.

Your stride should be relaxed and smooth. A key to balance a smooth yet powerful stride under your body is to pull your knees up slighty to start the cycle. You should feel as if your knee is “driven” through the upper, or forward, part of the stride, with the lower leg relaxed, almost “dangling.” Foot plant should be light and quick, straight forward (not crossing over) but also under your body (not overstriding), with a balanced heel/toe strike. On the back side of the cycle begin with a good forward push off with the ball of the foot and toes, relax and allow the lower leg and heel to pendulum up (the “kick”) and begin to elevate the knee and drive it forward, to start over again. Your overall stride cycle is better if it’s shorter and quick tempo as opposed to a long, loping gait. A lot to think about? Yes, but you’ll be amazed at how much small improvements in your running form can result in big gains. The only way to break bad habits and start good ones is to practice. The drills at the end of this chapter are designed to help improve form. Note too that the best time to work on your running form is during the off-season.

Posted with permission from Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.