Just thought I’d share, for those looking to try these out. I mimicked Kipchpoge’s form and incorporated these tips into my 1st run in a week, out of curiosity. It was odd how quickly I was moving along, and it took some getting used to, because it felt almost like I was flat-footing for the duration of the run. Maintaining a consistent cadence and stride length resulted in an overall consistent pace, and I was able to match and almost exceed the pace of my average 5K, even though I’ve been increasing my distance incrementally for a couple of weeks now. That means that instead of losing progress over the course of a week, I progressed simply by altering my running form. Previously, I would land strictly on my toes as a sprinter would, but manipulating my weight distribution made toe planting obsolete. Now, I’ve averaged 6:35/mi, even beyond 5 km. I implore everyone to follow the tips in the video as closely as you can - the results may not be immediate, but they will be significant.
Instead of trying to mimicking this running gate. Please learn a,b, and c skips. And learn hurdle drills. Over time you’re running gate will improve with drills.
Thank you! Excellent analysis and also really appreciate how you have your 5 points summarized in the "show more" area. 1. Footstrike 2. Stride length and overstriding 3. Cadence & contact time 4. Torso rotation 5. Relaxation
5 Simple Ways for YOU to Run Like ELIUD KIPCHOGE 1: Be conceived and born in Kenya 2 Run to and from school 3 Eat organic unprocessed foods 4 Live and train in high altitude areas 5 believe in yourself
James, I want to thank you for this video. It has helped me recover from crippling shin splints. Since training for my first marathon a year ago, I've had shin splints (posterior/inside of my leg) I tried lots of rest, but after only a few runs, I would be in pain again. If I kept running or training for a week, it would flare up to pain so bad I couldn't run, and I'd again be back at square one. I've tried everything, and I am sure everything helped a bit (insoles, stretches, strengthening exercises, less asphalt running, etc) but it was my FORM that had to change for my shin splints to actually heal. I was an under-pronator and a heel striker. I had someone take slow motion footage of me from the front, back and sides, and compared myself to THIS video. I saved this video in my "Running" playlist and reference it all the time. Changing my form has been hard, because I always ran how it felt natural to me. But I now have better knee drive, higher knee lift, and I strike mid-foot instead of heel striking. I'm still working on it, but now I can train 4-5 days a week, week after week and month after month, without debilitating shin pain. I'm just some random person who, like you say here, can't imagine running a single mile at Eliud's marathon pace, let alone an entire marathon, but you've helped me so much. Thank you!👍👍👌✌️👍
I love to read this!! I'm right in your boat right now, manhandling my running form to try and get back to running daily, weekly, and monthly. Sure am tired of these dastardly shin splits
This happened to me too. I finally decided to fix my form after a couple weeks of minor shin pain and not being able to run. After just my first run yesterday, I didn't have any shin pain and could run for way longer. Today I ran probably a mile and a half non-stop around my neighborhood (I'm a beginner runner and I could only run for a straight-away or two before something in my core burned and having to rest.) Form completely changed my running!
Ya, I ran for 20 years as a heel striker because my middle school coach said "that's just how some people run, and some of the best in the world run that way". Injury after injury after injury, just couldn't break 5km without getting injured. Finally, after a bunch of reading, I took the winter of 2018/2019 off and just jumped rope to build my calf/Achilles strength. Toe running since (after watching this I'm probably going to get new shoes, I think I've gone as far as I can without going to a mid-strike) and injury free for 4 years now. Ran my first full length marathon last fall.
I'm currently fighting with crazy shin pain; as you said, I tried stretches, I tried icing, I think I have tried everything that I could, even resting. Whenever I went to run again, my shins would flare up. I will change my running form too. Thank you for the affirmation that it was my form, not something else.
Shin splints are growing pains. Nothing more ! Ive been a runner from age 14 to now.. age 65. I went though two years with shin splints. Theres nothing you can do for them other then grow out of them. No different then side aches. I had extreme side aches for nearly 3 years. Nothing I could do to change it ! Primary......I learned very early....do not do stretches before a race !!!!!!! First........I started following everyone else doing stretches. I always had craps. I though long and hard about it. I tried no stretching before future races. Never had a crap since ! Stretching causes muscles slight trauma........which often flares up mid race ! There is no need for stretches before a race....for that matter to warm up. Thats what the first half mile in the race is about .
awsome analisys. no.6 reeeeally important... watch how, right before touching the floor, his foot is not moving forward. It touches the floor with zero speed (relative to the ground). In order to do this, he must pull his foot back (you can see the foot decelerating). Since he is moving at 21 km/h forward, the foot must be brought back at -21km/h in order not to skid in any direction on the flor. Some of us usually skid forwards (hitting the brakes in every stride, usually due to exagerated forefroot striking), some of us, backwards (due to trying to sprint). Well, he does none of that. The foot hits the floor with 0 velocity. This comes from very good skipping tecknique and usage of the glutes... I'm still trying to work on that... lol - it helps to run on the dirt... you can atually HEAR wether you're skidding or not.
@@stayontrack well, not skidding at all is the way to go. it's the hardest part (for me, so far, at least). if you run at 15km/h your foot should move backwards at 15 km/h (relatively to you) at the moment it touches the ground. if the foot moves too slowly, backwards, say 10 km/h (relative tou you) you skid in the worst way and are breaking with 5 km/h difference to the ground. if the foot is too fast (say 20km/h) you're wasting energy because you skid backwards (with 5 km/h)... unless you have extra strong legs, are doing a sprint and you're running spikes on a track. so taking you're not sprinting a 100m, rather doing medium distance onwards, the foot should hit the ground at exactly 15 km/h relatively to you to hit the ground at 0 km/h and for the minimum contact time possible. just... hit and jump... like a hopping ball...
@@MrShadow205 you're probably running with too much of a "high heel" stance, like running on your toes (at least when you wrote this comment, sorry for the delay). I've had that when I fisrst started swapping a heel strike to a front foot strike. I would run on my toes. I would feel the skid motion forward due to the movement of the foot going from that "pointing down" to the "flat position", every single step. my calves would have to work, not only on taking the normal running impact, but also on dealing with that strange movement of the foot. I then started to try a more relaxed ankle approach, focusing on the rest of the leg and not the foot. I found my foot would hit the ground where it was supposed to, and in the position it was supposed to, without extra skidding or soreness afterwards.
@@diogoalmeida8211 I can see your point put personally "pulling the ground", which makes the rocks skid behind you usually is what i do. I think if i would try to have no skidding at all i would be forced to get more vertical movement. But I do agree that skidding can be too much, like you said if you're putting too much power into it
James , 76 year old man runner who watched this video 2 days ago and ran the fastest 3 miler in probably 2 years! I always have been a mid foot runner but have been consumed with stride length. Knee pain has been my companion for months recently. But striking out this afternoon on a country road I felt like a runner again and not a plodding goofball. My knees felt bulletproof! I had a ball running for the first time in 2 years THANK YOU 😊
Great video, completely mind boggling pace to run sub 2 hour marathon. Most people couldn’t keep up with him on a road bike. Very informative explanation of running form, don’t think enough people give it the consideration it deserves in their training. Amazing to think he’s so good he’s causing the 4th place finisher to over-stride. Exciting times on the horizon in distance running I think.
Shoot you're right! In high school I averaged 9mph on my cheap walmart bike and that was a 1.5 mile ride. No way I could've maintained 13.1mph for 26.2 miles, not even close. I'd be hours behind
James, you probably have no idea how much of influence your videoes make on a new runner living way far from you. Thanks a tonne, mate. Keep helping us. We need you.
I've been landing more with the midstrike and it's awesome how it feels. Just felt to change how I landed after many runs on the balls of my feet. Lifting my legs higher helps me to take longer strides and I can use much the same amount of energy but gain more speed. Of course they run so much more and train hard! Not to mention they are skinny as a rail!
Thank you very much. I've gotten more severe injuries over the years. Case in point, last night another ligament completely tore on my toe shuttering me for yet another 4-6 month rest. It has become chronic. Watching this, I see what I've been doing wrong on foot strike. Next time I am able to run and as I relearn to walk, I will use the mid foot. Let number 20 be the final injury.
I've improved my running by adopting certain elements of Kipchoge's (and other elite runners') form. Pulling the heel towards the butt just enough to break contact with the ground while dorsiflexing the foot has been particularly helpful.
Kipchoke’s midsection strikes, alignment of center of gravity along with smaller angles of bend at knees and ankle plus the slight rotation of hip suggest that he is using more of glutes instead of quadriceps and calves.
he's incredible! his running gait is truly mesmerizing. if only I could run as gracefully...as a former swimmer, I tend to lean back and be a bit top heavy in the torso area :( working on it tho!
Very interesting. I did the minimal amount of sports science in school but I love to run and when I get back into it I will remember this advice and work on my strides.
I’ve been watching lots of videos on cadence and I think the key point I’d missed that you point out well is it’s not just small quick steps picking feet up but important to have limb stiffness in legs so driving force into the ground to push you forward horizontally rather then too much vertical movement. That’s definitely helped me with my pace for same HR effort. Surely sub 2 hour can’t be far off now for me either....
Excellent analysis. I switched to 'barefoot' (Merrell Vapor Glove) about 1,5 years ago and exactly what is shown here happened to my running form. I used to be the guy behind Kipchoge, now I am him (in form, not in speed, although my speed has gone up). Especially the leg flexing somewhat less is very recognizable - the heel strike promotes more of a 'sitting' form while the mid/ forefoot strike is much more upright. In my case, remarkably, my patellar tendonitis which used to be a recurring problem on 'classic' shoes and old form, has now disappeared completely. I currently run about 25 km/ week comfortably and without any soreness afterwards.
Honest question .... You're picking on that one runner's form, saying it's "what we don't want to see" ... Yet, he's a world class runner. His "bad form" is clearly working for him, so does that throw into question all the advice we're getting about "the best" form? Perhaps form is entirely dependent on your own physiology.
You can't really question the physics here. He'd be putting less pressure on his joints and probably have a better running economy with Kipchoges form. Maybe he just increases his stride length over his capacities to keep up with Kipchoge🤷🏻♂️
If you watch the twin brothers of New Zealand on "Vice" who went to Kenya, they have practiced that motion of running with stride, just like this guy, so it's a 80/20 where the 20% of his running is a slight spring type of stride. It's amazing when you watch some one run with that type of stride. Also your so right the cadance is important too, but one thing is that they actually use a beat/ryhtum type of running. It's amazing learn it.
What a great video. I used to do T&F over 16 years ago and now that I'm getting back, I want to get an idea for what a goot technique looks for. Thanks for the work!
1:37 look at the 3rd guy. and his landing position of foot. Most of us would named that as bad becase of heel first contact. BUT if he is able to run with eliuds tempo, he cant be bad runner.
As 3km, 5km, 10km Grand Prix I say you have to focus on rolling your hips like an Olympic walker, get your knees high and drag yourself forward starting with heel through to push off with your toes, maybe use your arms throwing them up level with your chin if running around an athletics track throw your left hand as high as the top of your head and right hand chest height around each bend on the track, basically the 3 separate events are sprint at %90 you need to plan on a 1.5 year ready to compete timespan training Mon, Wed, Fri.
So helpful…. Once I went to get running shoes fitted, and the guy who was helping me said I need to land on my heel and roll my feet…. Since then I had suffered plantar fasciitis and trying to get back to mid foot strike.
Look at his foot striking the ground, he also lands on the outside of the foot and then transfers to his big toe to push, a bit like a torsional movement through the metatarsals, I think it's also a way to mitigate and lessen shock to the joints
Cadence is always a bit of a debate. Look at Jim Walmsley. Even while breaking the 50 mile road record, or winning the Western States 100, with 20,000ft elevation gain, he's averaging lower 160s. Opting for more power behind each stride. This is interesting because this means whether he's running 8:00 min/ mile, or 5:50 min/ mile, he's about 160s, with hills increasing turnover rate a bit, naturally. Here's an exciting thing to ask your self, "what makes fast feel fast?" Think back to about every race where you headed out too hot and got tired early, or were tired half way through a high effort/ shorter distance event (for the most profound example). Each time I was at my most exhausted, between the 5k and 10k events, I was cranking over the usual amount of cadence (closer to 180), but would ultimately feel gummy legged...like I was flailing a bit. Even uncontrollably so.This made me wonder, "What makes easy runs feel easier?" And it always seem to me running a lower cadence at certain pace zones, as I get better...or at the very least? Maintaining a certain balance between stride length and cadence. For example, if I take a very light running winter (2-3 days a week, at no more than 4 miles) then even 7:20 min/ mile pace feels closer to All-Out effort. But later in the peak season? I can be doing intervals at 6:25s and am even able to recover a bit in the f 7:20s. Which, of course, alludes to the idea that 7:20 no longer required an all-out like effort, and therefore my turn overs are reduced at 7:20 pace, but will undoubtedly climb as I near my interval speed of 6:25 again. To put this to the test I stopped my practice of an average of 172 spm, at my cruising pace of between 8:40-8:50 minute mile and went down to 160-162. The result was I ended up going immediately into the 8:35 pace range scary early, and even 8:00 and 7:45, within the first 1.2 miles. I'd look down, thinking I was at a lower effort and would expect to see a coinciding time to indicate that. I was blown away that I was running in the 7s. I had to pull back to 8:25-8:35, in fear I'd get too tired for an easy longer run day. To do that I retained my 160 spm by producing less spring/ pop as I had initially started out and found my way to 8:40. The whole run felt more natural, as I have always been kind of springy. This reminded me of how I got passed, during a combined 5K/ Half Marathon event, by a girl that went on to secure her 1:28 Half, as I was doing the 5K. I was at a pretty sustained 6:50 pace, as I like to start out slower and get faster and she sprung past me (literally) with what looked to be something between a bound and a frolic, as each step was pretty far in the air. I think the secret to success is your spring to stride ratio, which is going to be different for everybody. I think that cadence has its place in different distance events. Marathon? Sure 170 is probably nice. But the problem with the "always 180" idea, and I have seen articles point this out, we are always comparing against what elite runners do. When you are cranking out sub-6:00 minute mile and sub-5:00 pacing, you're going to be looking to cadence for extra speed, as you can only generate so much power with each stride before you have to quicken the repetitions...and then even that is going to have a max. This is why you see some people doing 210 spm on the final stretch. It's not because of some law that says turnover is better...you're literally pushing the limits of the body.
A lot of this is a relief to see, because I've been working HARD on my running form the last two years and seeing huge gains, but I keep feeling like my foot lands too far in front because all the videos I've seen say it needs to be under my body. However, the front half of my stride looks a lot like EK's here. It's landing slightly in front of my body mass but the knee is over the ankle and I'm landing center of foot and not heel or toes (unless it's a steep hill then it's toes). I just need to improve the kick portion of the stride.
excellent analysis of running techniques, i noticed that more knee bend = more rise and fall of the body, which is using energy to combat gravity in a vertical direction , which wastes energy. Eliuds energy is used more efficiently for forward movement.
I am a frequent runner. I just finished a marathon below 3:15h with a cadence of about 190 (normal for me). I probably have to work on my rythm which probably will lead to worse results, but I'll take it for long term success. thanks!
These videos are great. So happy they came up in my feed. Really solid info that I feel I can learn from and use. Already watched about 7 in a row and subscribed. Can’t wait to put some of this in practice. Thanks James, look forward to more.
Awesome analysis James , one more thing to notice is from the front side , the way he runs his foot is always in the mid of his body . As a result of which his centre of mass is always contained in the body , thus more stable run
@@algt1tan_wolf73 he's talking about, in sideways position because of the knee bend his COM comes down which makes him stable . But what I'm talking about is how he runs when seen from the front .
While it is important, we generally swoon and analyze form more than it will actually benefit us. At the end of the day it is not going to be nearly as important as your physiological condition and how fit of a person you are.
@@JamesDunne It's excellent. We can always improve and learn from the best in the sport. I'll link this video in one of upcoming videos, it was so great and insightful.
Good video. Green guy over reaches because his other leg flicks back so the other leg has to set a brake to wait for it to catch up or else he trips. Also why his hips are so bent forward no hip flex can have that much range behind the body . Need to remove wt off the back leg sooner.
I cannot thank you enough for posting this video analysis; sooooo useful. Will start utilising all of it on my next run; already looking forward to it :)
The stiff limb discussion is very interesting. It's kind of like by having a lower ground contact time you're putting less energy into the spring (leg) and therefore waste less in storage / release.
I'd argue that short contact time = increased stiffness = less energy lost. This is quite an interesting watch to learn more about limb stiffness: ua-cam.com/video/HnMoi98AbI8/v-deo.html
The way Kipchoge lands with his foot, it is not mid foot!! because when the sole of the shoe lands straight on ground the foot in side is actually lean forward. so when you see a runner step mid foot in this Nike Shoe which has a huge drop, the runner is in fact running totally forefoot.
That’s because the sneakers these runners are wearing have such high/thick heels. He’s Kipchoge is definitely landing forefoot, but it almost looks midfoot, because of the thick sole on the shoe. I bet if he was in sandals or even just barefoot you’d definitely see the forefoot landing more better. Such a graceful form!
Wow. I didn't realise how important form is. It's amazing how heel striking can remove so much forward momentum, Eliud's form is so efficient. I wonder how much better that other dude could get if he just improves his form.
That other dude finished the London marathon 2020 in the first place. And in this particular race which is London Marathon 2018, he finished in second place. Running form will not make much difference to the time. It will prevent injuries though. Many past Olympic champions ran with a "bad" running form. It's about your lungs and heart.
I am currently documenting my marathon prep over on my channel and one of the biggest questions I have around form is, How do you keep yourself honest on those long easy runs? What I mean by that is, I find my form gets a little sloppy when the goal is to log those long easy miles.
Hey Matt! Which marathon are you training for? This video addresses exactly what your describe re maintaining good form on long easy runs: ua-cam.com/video/R7TpxcNwkgQ/v-deo.html
Hi James, I've recently watched an analysis on east African runners and how they swing their arms. I think it's very important to look into the arm swing where the arms are always close to the chest. The biomechanics are broken down by a blog. I would want to hear your take on that. I personally feel that it is more efficient than the "conventional" arm swing. It's amazing how this is so helpful yet not commonly being discussed.
I think its interesting that Kipchoge clearly goes through the heel strike motion with his foot but his foot sort of hovers for a bit so he touches the ground with the balls on his feet. Rolling your feet is effective to keep high speeds for long durations, but it has downsides, like it can be harmful for the foot and a longer duration of friction. Eliud must have trained his running technique for years to hit it with such perfect timing every step he takes. Incredible to see
Thanks for the video! I'm 32 years old and trying to run ONE mile at Kipchoge's marathon pace (Sub ~4:34), current PR 4:44 this is very helpful. I'm 5' 5" but probably a little shorter legged than him but I feel that we have a similar frame, shorter legs high turnover. He and I are nearly identical in our toe strike. Valuable to consider relaxed form and the center of gravity.
I'm curious about Kipchoge's foot landing position in terms of ankle inversion and toes pointing slightly outward at touch down. Looks to me like this results in a pretty pronounced amount of pronation as he carries through stance phase... dare I say "overpronation." I use the quotes because I am a skeptic about the categorization of some pronation as excessive versus a lesser degree as "neutral." It seems a rather arbitrary distinction, difficult to measure quantitatively (since the motion happens in fractions of a second), and may not be altered by various forms of technology in stability shoes such as "medial posting" or "guide rails." I think a large part of it is just a false classification system embraced by the shoe industry to market products, and pushed by podiatrists to sell custom orthotic inserts (both parties have substantial conflict of interest in terms of selling something). Should we as runners even be thinking about such a small and fast motion at the end of our extremities? Or is it counterproductive to address specifically when there are larger gait mechanics at play up higher in the kinetic chain which may be potential targets to improve running efficiency/economy? It would be interesting to compare footage of him in marathons pre-vaporfly, when he was using the Nike Streak or other more traditional racing flats, to see if the high stack of soft zoomX foam may be contributing to more pronation. I don't mean to come off as overly critical -- this is one of your best videos in my opinion. Appreciate all of your great content James, and any insights you may have on Kipchoge's pronation here.
The runners with the best form imo are Eliud Kipchoge of course, Meb Keflezighi, and Edward Cheserek, and Geoffrey kamworor. Other runners I watch with form great form are the Colorado runners and the also the elite high schoolers at footlocker nationals. Some of these guys have great form.
if focusing on footstrike and cadence works for you, more power to you. But I think the "real" secret to his form and any optimum running form is up higher, in the back, particularly the mid and lower back. Mis-alignment aka tightening in the mid-back will have a chain effect into the lower back and screw up everything on down. Focusing on footstrike, in this context, is futile. For those of you who don't suspect any problems here, you can skip the rest of this. I used to take a yoga stick and hold it in the crook of my elbows across the upper , mid-back. It first made me aware of all the tightness there. Holding the yoga stick horizontally, apply a little forward pressure, across the mid back aided me in feeling the tightness and releasing it. And as soon as I released there, in the mid-back, I could feel a release in the lower back. Of course you don't run this way. It's just a way to get a feel for what's happening.
Kipchoge and Bekele have almost the same form except for Bekele's pronounced forward lean. I think he does it to compensate for his lesser height in order to cover more ground than his competitors. Am I right, James?
Every one of the runners I see every day landing on their toes in minimalist shoes need to watch this slow-mo footage of his mid-foot landings in well-cushioned shoes.
🔴 WATCH NEXT ➜ Secret to running faster without training harder (NOT WHAT YOU THINK): ua-cam.com/video/ItW5R-dakG8/v-deo.html
Eluid has such beautiful form.
stunning!
I agree every runners forms so unique I think
Ik
Unlike me
Eliud 😊
Just thought I’d share, for those looking to try these out. I mimicked Kipchpoge’s form and incorporated these tips into my 1st run in a week, out of curiosity. It was odd how quickly I was moving along, and it took some getting used to, because it felt almost like I was flat-footing for the duration of the run. Maintaining a consistent cadence and stride length resulted in an overall consistent pace, and I was able to match and almost exceed the pace of my average 5K, even though I’ve been increasing my distance incrementally for a couple of weeks now. That means that instead of losing progress over the course of a week, I progressed simply by altering my running form. Previously, I would land strictly on my toes as a sprinter would, but manipulating my weight distribution made toe planting obsolete. Now, I’ve averaged 6:35/mi, even beyond 5 km. I implore everyone to follow the tips in the video as closely as you can - the results may not be immediate, but they will be significant.
I am flat footed naturally so do I still have to work on my form?
@@distancerunner6211 yeah. It’s not only just the feet but the whole body including posture and the arms too
Instead of trying to mimicking this running gate. Please learn a,b, and c skips. And learn hurdle drills. Over time you’re running gate will improve with drills.
His foot is also supinated when he hits the ground, and then he rolls on the forefoot.
"flat-footing for the duration of the run" Could you please elaborate on what you mean by this?
I am a Kenyan and I am proud of my fellow countryman Kipchoge and all other world record beating runners we have produced
Thank you! Excellent analysis and also really appreciate how you have your 5 points summarized in the "show more" area.
1. Footstrike
2. Stride length and overstriding
3. Cadence & contact time
4. Torso rotation
5. Relaxation
5 Simple Ways for YOU to Run Like ELIUD KIPCHOGE
1: Be conceived and born in Kenya
2 Run to and from school
3 Eat organic unprocessed foods
4 Live and train in high altitude areas
5 believe in yourself
Lasting Impression + EPO+ TESTO
Lasting Impression ... I like this analysis 👍👍👍
Rationalizing your own laziness. Bravo!
..and buy some green Vaporflys
@@graememorrison333 Those were prototypes unique for running at kipchoge's preferences.
James, I want to thank you for this video. It has helped me recover from crippling shin splints.
Since training for my first marathon a year ago, I've had shin splints (posterior/inside of my leg)
I tried lots of rest, but after only a few runs, I would be in pain again. If I kept running or training for a week, it would flare up to pain so bad I couldn't run, and I'd again be back at square one.
I've tried everything, and I am sure everything helped a bit (insoles, stretches, strengthening exercises, less asphalt running, etc) but it was my FORM that had to change for my shin splints to actually heal.
I was an under-pronator and a heel striker.
I had someone take slow motion footage of me from the front, back and sides, and compared myself to THIS video. I saved this video in my "Running" playlist and reference it all the time.
Changing my form has been hard, because I always ran how it felt natural to me. But I now have better knee drive, higher knee lift, and I strike mid-foot instead of heel striking.
I'm still working on it, but now I can train 4-5 days a week, week after week and month after month, without debilitating shin pain.
I'm just some random person who, like you say here, can't imagine running a single mile at Eliud's marathon pace, let alone an entire marathon, but you've helped me so much.
Thank you!👍👍👌✌️👍
I love to read this!! I'm right in your boat right now, manhandling my running form to try and get back to running daily, weekly, and monthly. Sure am tired of these dastardly shin splits
This happened to me too. I finally decided to fix my form after a couple weeks of minor shin pain and not being able to run. After just my first run yesterday, I didn't have any shin pain and could run for way longer. Today I ran probably a mile and a half non-stop around my neighborhood (I'm a beginner runner and I could only run for a straight-away or two before something in my core burned and having to rest.) Form completely changed my running!
Ya, I ran for 20 years as a heel striker because my middle school coach said "that's just how some people run, and some of the best in the world run that way". Injury after injury after injury, just couldn't break 5km without getting injured. Finally, after a bunch of reading, I took the winter of 2018/2019 off and just jumped rope to build my calf/Achilles strength. Toe running since (after watching this I'm probably going to get new shoes, I think I've gone as far as I can without going to a mid-strike) and injury free for 4 years now.
Ran my first full length marathon last fall.
I'm currently fighting with crazy shin pain; as you said, I tried stretches, I tried icing, I think I have tried everything that I could, even resting. Whenever I went to run again, my shins would flare up. I will change my running form too. Thank you for the affirmation that it was my form, not something else.
Shin splints are growing pains. Nothing more ! Ive been a runner from age 14 to now.. age 65. I went though two years with shin splints. Theres nothing you can do for them other then grow out of them. No different then side aches. I had extreme side aches for nearly 3 years. Nothing I could do to change it !
Primary......I learned very early....do not do stretches before a race !!!!!!! First........I started following everyone else doing stretches. I always had craps. I though long and hard about it. I tried no stretching before future races. Never had a crap since ! Stretching causes muscles slight trauma........which often flares up mid race ! There is no need for stretches before a race....for that matter to warm up. Thats what the first half mile in the race is about .
awsome analisys. no.6 reeeeally important... watch how, right before touching the floor, his foot is not moving forward. It touches the floor with zero speed (relative to the ground). In order to do this, he must pull his foot back (you can see the foot decelerating). Since he is moving at 21 km/h forward, the foot must be brought back at -21km/h in order not to skid in any direction on the flor. Some of us usually skid forwards (hitting the brakes in every stride, usually due to exagerated forefroot striking), some of us, backwards (due to trying to sprint). Well, he does none of that. The foot hits the floor with 0 velocity. This comes from very good skipping tecknique and usage of the glutes... I'm still trying to work on that... lol - it helps to run on the dirt... you can atually HEAR wether you're skidding or not.
This explains why my feet slides forward every time they land on the ground. Also sore calves after every run.
Diogo Almeida so you should be skidding but only backwards (not in front of the hips)
@@stayontrack well, not skidding at all is the way to go. it's the hardest part (for me, so far, at least). if you run at 15km/h your foot should move backwards at 15 km/h (relatively to you) at the moment it touches the ground.
if the foot moves too slowly, backwards, say 10 km/h (relative tou you) you skid in the worst way and are breaking with 5 km/h difference to the ground. if the foot is too fast (say 20km/h) you're wasting energy because you skid backwards (with 5 km/h)... unless you have extra strong legs, are doing a sprint and you're running spikes on a track.
so taking you're not sprinting a 100m, rather doing medium distance onwards, the foot should hit the ground at exactly 15 km/h relatively to you to hit the ground at 0 km/h and for the minimum contact time possible. just... hit and jump... like a hopping ball...
@@MrShadow205 you're probably running with too much of a "high heel" stance, like running on your toes (at least when you wrote this comment, sorry for the delay). I've had that when I fisrst started swapping a heel strike to a front foot strike. I would run on my toes. I would feel the skid motion forward due to the movement of the foot going from that "pointing down" to the "flat position", every single step. my calves would have to work, not only on taking the normal running impact, but also on dealing with that strange movement of the foot.
I then started to try a more relaxed ankle approach, focusing on the rest of the leg and not the foot. I found my foot would hit the ground where it was supposed to, and in the position it was supposed to, without extra skidding or soreness afterwards.
@@diogoalmeida8211 I can see your point put personally "pulling the ground", which makes the rocks skid behind you usually is what i do. I think if i would try to have no skidding at all i would be forced to get more vertical movement. But I do agree that skidding can be too much, like you said if you're putting too much power into it
James , 76 year old man runner who watched this video 2 days ago and ran the fastest 3 miler in probably 2 years!
I always have been a mid foot runner but have been consumed with stride length. Knee pain has been my companion for months recently.
But striking out this afternoon on a country road I felt like a runner again and not a plodding goofball.
My knees felt bulletproof!
I had a ball running for the first time in 2 years
THANK YOU 😊
Great video, completely mind boggling pace to run sub 2 hour marathon. Most people couldn’t keep up with him on a road bike. Very informative explanation of running form, don’t think enough people give it the consideration it deserves in their training. Amazing to think he’s so good he’s causing the 4th place finisher to over-stride. Exciting times on the horizon in distance running I think.
my fastest “marathon” on a bike is 2:00:55. kipchoge truly is a beast
@@hunterbruyere5052 holy shit
Shoot you're right! In high school I averaged 9mph on my cheap walmart bike and that was a 1.5 mile ride. No way I could've maintained 13.1mph for 26.2 miles, not even close. I'd be hours behind
James, you probably have no idea how much of influence your videoes make on a new runner living way far from you. Thanks a tonne, mate. Keep helping us. We need you.
Thanks to this video I ran my first 5'45 pace! I'm a total beginner and learned a lot here. Kipchoge's a legend.
Mo a GOAT too
I've been landing more with the midstrike and it's awesome how it feels. Just felt to change how I landed after many runs on the balls of my feet. Lifting my legs higher helps me to take longer strides and I can use much the same amount of energy but gain more speed. Of course they run so much more and train hard! Not to mention they are skinny as a rail!
Even skinnier when you see them in person.
R u supposed to lift the leg higher at the front or the back of you?
Thank you very much. I've gotten more severe injuries over the years. Case in point, last night another ligament completely tore on my toe shuttering me for yet another 4-6 month rest. It has become chronic. Watching this, I see what I've been doing wrong on foot strike. Next time I am able to run and as I relearn to walk, I will use the mid foot. Let number 20 be the final injury.
I've improved my running by adopting certain elements of Kipchoge's (and other elite runners') form. Pulling the heel towards the butt just enough to break contact with the ground while dorsiflexing the foot has been particularly helpful.
Kipchoke’s midsection strikes, alignment of center of gravity along with smaller angles of bend at knees and ankle plus the slight rotation of hip suggest that he is using more of glutes instead of quadriceps and calves.
Implemented your advice and just race my fastest pace on my usual 5K route this evening. Thanks Mr. Dunne :-)
Perfect analysis. Easy to see why Kipchoge is so efficient.
he's incredible! his running gait is truly mesmerizing. if only I could run as gracefully...as a former swimmer, I tend to lean back and be a bit top heavy in the torso area :( working on it tho!
Well whoever is in that picture looks graceful. If that's you at least you've got that going for you.
Very interesting. I did the minimal amount of sports science in school but I love to run and when I get back into it I will remember this advice and work on my strides.
Poor Kitata has had a bit of a roasting here hasn't he! Great video!
Thanks, Aaron! Glad you enjoyed the video :) Maybe I could have been a little more delicate in my comparison 😂
@@JamesDunne no, the video was great as it was!
@@JamesDunne A little constructive criticism is welcomed by winners
Thanks to Kitata we have this comparison. Who could run this pace with this technique like Kitata?
Noticed it anyway before he mentioned it. Fantastic comparison so clear. Old mate’s form in second looks pretty good.
I am a runner too you real explain it professionaly my friend. Hope to see more of you.
Watching the elites reminds of when I “technically” beat Gebresalassie in the 2014 Great Scottish Run - he pulled up at 5 miles, but I finished. 😀
Haha my dads clame to fame also!
I’ve been watching lots of videos on cadence and I think the key point I’d missed that you point out well is it’s not just small quick steps picking feet up but important to have limb stiffness in legs so driving force into the ground to push you forward horizontally rather then too much vertical movement. That’s definitely helped me with my pace for same HR effort. Surely sub 2 hour can’t be far off now for me either....
How the heck do you focus on limb stiffness...what are some good cues?
@@denvermartin9656stay on one foot like hopscotch and shuffle back and forth on that one foot running should be like that when u land on each foot
Amazing breakdown and analysis. Thanks James.
Thanks, Richard! Some food for thought for us all :) What's next for your running?
Excellent analysis. I switched to 'barefoot' (Merrell Vapor Glove) about 1,5 years ago and exactly what is shown here happened to my running form. I used to be the guy behind Kipchoge, now I am him (in form, not in speed, although my speed has gone up). Especially the leg flexing somewhat less is very recognizable - the heel strike promotes more of a 'sitting' form while the mid/ forefoot strike is much more upright. In my case, remarkably, my patellar tendonitis which used to be a recurring problem on 'classic' shoes and old form, has now disappeared completely. I currently run about 25 km/ week comfortably and without any soreness afterwards.
Splendid analysis and very informative, I must say. Good job, keep it up.
Thank you, Raymond!
I don't even drive as fast as he runs, mind you I'm 80years old next year scary eh! 😂😂😂😂 FROM AUSTRALIA......
Your name sounds like a 20 years old American teenager
Hey old man are you still alive:)
@@hello-nk6ro of course he is his name sounds like he used to be a fit beach boy who surfed a lot
Dude what was it like growing up in Australia back then
Australia is real?
Honest question .... You're picking on that one runner's form, saying it's "what we don't want to see" ... Yet, he's a world class runner. His "bad form" is clearly working for him, so does that throw into question all the advice we're getting about "the best" form? Perhaps form is entirely dependent on your own physiology.
You can't really question the physics here. He'd be putting less pressure on his joints and probably have a better running economy with Kipchoges form. Maybe he just increases his stride length over his capacities to keep up with Kipchoge🤷🏻♂️
because he's very good, doesn't mean his technique is good even tho theses 2 factors are correlated they are not causation
It's more 'in spite of' than 'because of'
Bad form??? He has excellent form he WON & Under 2 hour Marathon.
@@ronaldweed4599 doesn't mean he has good form just because he won, this is all just physics and one form is more efficient than others.
Me: *barley runs 3 miles*
Also me: "What an idiot for having such a bad technique..." (the pacer)
It's so me lol 😁
Great analysis James. Very useful for me for aspects to focus and improve on. What a runner Kipchoge is. Thank you.
If you watch the twin brothers of New Zealand on "Vice" who went to Kenya, they have practiced that motion of running with stride, just like this guy, so it's a 80/20 where the 20% of his running is a slight spring type of stride. It's amazing when you watch some one run with that type of stride. Also your so right the cadance is important too, but one thing is that they actually use a beat/ryhtum type of running. It's amazing learn it.
Link please
What a great video. I used to do T&F over 16 years ago and now that I'm getting back, I want to get an idea for what a goot technique looks for. Thanks for the work!
1:37 look at the 3rd guy. and his landing position of foot. Most of us would named that as bad becase of heel first contact. BUT if he is able to run with eliuds tempo, he cant be bad runner.
As 3km, 5km, 10km Grand Prix I say you have to focus on rolling your hips like an Olympic walker, get your knees high and drag yourself forward starting with heel through to push off with your toes, maybe use your arms throwing them up level with your chin if running around an athletics track throw your left hand as high as the top of your head and right hand chest height around each bend on the track, basically the 3 separate events are sprint at %90 you need to plan on a 1.5 year ready to compete timespan training Mon, Wed, Fri.
So helpful…. Once I went to get running shoes fitted, and the guy who was helping me said I need to land on my heel and roll my feet…. Since then I had suffered plantar fasciitis and trying to get back to mid foot strike.
Omg what a great analysis I would never see those details so thanks
Look at his foot striking the ground, he also lands on the outside of the foot and then transfers to his big toe to push, a bit like a torsional movement through the metatarsals, I think it's also a way to mitigate and lessen shock to the joints
Cadence is always a bit of a debate. Look at Jim Walmsley. Even while breaking the 50 mile road record, or winning the Western States 100, with 20,000ft elevation gain, he's averaging lower 160s. Opting for more power behind each stride. This is interesting because this means whether he's running 8:00 min/ mile, or 5:50 min/ mile, he's about 160s, with hills increasing turnover rate a bit, naturally.
Here's an exciting thing to ask your self, "what makes fast feel fast?" Think back to about every race where you headed out too hot and got tired early, or were tired half way through a high effort/ shorter distance event (for the most profound example). Each time I was at my most exhausted, between the 5k and 10k events, I was cranking over the usual amount of cadence (closer to 180), but would ultimately feel gummy legged...like I was flailing a bit. Even uncontrollably so.This made me wonder, "What makes easy runs feel easier?" And it always seem to me running a lower cadence at certain pace zones, as I get better...or at the very least? Maintaining a certain balance between stride length and cadence. For example, if I take a very light running winter (2-3 days a week, at no more than 4 miles) then even 7:20 min/ mile pace feels closer to All-Out effort. But later in the peak season? I can be doing intervals at 6:25s and am even able to recover a bit in the f 7:20s. Which, of course, alludes to the idea that 7:20 no longer required an all-out like effort, and therefore my turn overs are reduced at 7:20 pace, but will undoubtedly climb as I near my interval speed of 6:25 again. To put this to the test I stopped my practice of an average of 172 spm, at my cruising pace of between 8:40-8:50 minute mile and went down to 160-162. The result was I ended up going immediately into the 8:35 pace range scary early, and even 8:00 and 7:45, within the first 1.2 miles. I'd look down, thinking I was at a lower effort and would expect to see a coinciding time to indicate that. I was blown away that I was running in the 7s. I had to pull back to 8:25-8:35, in fear I'd get too tired for an easy longer run day. To do that I retained my 160 spm by producing less spring/ pop as I had initially started out and found my way to 8:40. The whole run felt more natural, as I have always been kind of springy. This reminded me of how I got passed, during a combined 5K/ Half Marathon event, by a girl that went on to secure her 1:28 Half, as I was doing the 5K. I was at a pretty sustained 6:50 pace, as I like to start out slower and get faster and she sprung past me (literally) with what looked to be something between a bound and a frolic, as each step was pretty far in the air.
I think the secret to success is your spring to stride ratio, which is going to be different for everybody. I think that cadence has its place in different distance events. Marathon? Sure 170 is probably nice. But the problem with the "always 180" idea, and I have seen articles point this out, we are always comparing against what elite runners do. When you are cranking out sub-6:00 minute mile and sub-5:00 pacing, you're going to be looking to cadence for extra speed, as you can only generate so much power with each stride before you have to quicken the repetitions...and then even that is going to have a max. This is why you see some people doing 210 spm on the final stretch. It's not because of some law that says turnover is better...you're literally pushing the limits of the body.
A lot of this is a relief to see, because I've been working HARD on my running form the last two years and seeing huge gains, but I keep feeling like my foot lands too far in front because all the videos I've seen say it needs to be under my body. However, the front half of my stride looks a lot like EK's here. It's landing slightly in front of my body mass but the knee is over the ankle and I'm landing center of foot and not heel or toes (unless it's a steep hill then it's toes). I just need to improve the kick portion of the stride.
Finally! Some information that I can understand & use to my benefit. You have no idea what this means to me! Thank you 😊👍🏃♀️
Great info! Love the slo-mo and freeze-frames.
Kipchoges form is heavenly.
So interesting to see the great differences between Kipchoge and Kitata. And both world class.
He looks like he’s gracefully bouncing.
Yeah...and rolling...
He is 😍
excellent analysis of running techniques, i noticed that more knee bend = more rise and fall of the body, which is using energy to combat gravity in a vertical direction , which wastes energy.
Eliuds energy is used more efficiently for forward movement.
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed the video 😃 You’re absolutely right about the vertical movement!
Id be happy to just be running in the same video with these guys. Ive gotta step my run up!
The VMA of Eliud is simply amazing!!! He's running like a GOD!!!
I am a frequent runner. I just finished a marathon below 3:15h with a cadence of about 190 (normal for me). I probably have to work on my rythm which probably will lead to worse results, but I'll take it for long term success. thanks!
Thank you for this video 👏👏
No matter how ur body n leg structure is it's all about practice practice and practice
These videos are great. So happy they came up in my feed. Really solid info that I feel I can learn from and use. Already watched about 7 in a row and subscribed. Can’t wait to put some of this in practice. Thanks James, look forward to more.
Great to have you on board, Joe! Hope these videos help your running :)
love this kinda content, learning from the pro
Awesome analysis James , one more thing to notice is from the front side , the way he runs his foot is always in the mid of his body . As a result of which his centre of mass is always contained in the body , thus more stable run
6:03
@@algt1tan_wolf73 he's talking about, in sideways position because of the knee bend his COM comes down which makes him stable .
But what I'm talking about is how he runs when seen from the front .
While it is important, we generally swoon and analyze form more than it will actually benefit us. At the end of the day it is not going to be nearly as important as your physiological condition and how fit of a person you are.
Always enjoy your analysis and tools to help runners, thanks for sharing James :)
Thanks Marc, I appreciate the support :) Hope this quick analysis helps!
@@JamesDunne It's excellent. We can always improve and learn from the best in the sport. I'll link this video in one of upcoming videos, it was so great and insightful.
Great video, all makes sense, I will be trying the tips on my next run.
Good video. Green guy over reaches because his other leg flicks back so the other leg has to set a brake to wait for it to catch up or else he trips. Also why his hips are so bent forward no hip flex can have that much range behind the body . Need to remove wt off the back leg sooner.
One of the best runners in the world but sure you tell him what to do
@@MilanSmore you can see it for yourself.
I cannot thank you enough for posting this video analysis; sooooo useful. Will start utilising all of it on my next run; already looking forward to it :)
Thanks for sharing. It's nice to watch this a day before my 10km race.
The stiff limb discussion is very interesting. It's kind of like by having a lower ground contact time you're putting less energy into the spring (leg) and therefore waste less in storage / release.
I'd argue that short contact time = increased stiffness = less energy lost. This is quite an interesting watch to learn more about limb stiffness: ua-cam.com/video/HnMoi98AbI8/v-deo.html
This is awesome. 4 minutes down the video and it already showed heaps of valuable concepts. Cheers! :D
Thank you JAMES, miss your Vlogs so much!!
Great analysis video. Really appreciate this.
Useful tips for long distance runners... thank you
The way Kipchoge lands with his foot, it is not mid foot!! because when the sole of the shoe lands straight on ground the foot in side is actually lean forward. so when you see a runner step mid foot in this Nike Shoe which has a huge drop, the runner is in fact running totally forefoot.
He said forefoot but toward the midfoot... don't think he said it was a pure midfoot
That’s because the sneakers these runners are wearing have such high/thick heels. He’s Kipchoge is definitely landing forefoot, but it almost looks midfoot, because of the thick sole on the shoe. I bet if he was in sandals or even just barefoot you’d definitely see the forefoot landing more better. Such a graceful form!
True, but the pressure from ground to shoe is mid foot, that is what ultimately counts
Reminders it says run like so you only run like Kipchouge but you never emitate Kipchouge's endurance
Terrific video, thanks. Great comparison between Kitata and Kipchoge.
Excellent comment and analysis on his running, helpful, thanks.
The back of the heel almost hitting the buttocks is sublime control
Assome! Exactly what I was looking for! Thank you James Dunne!
No problem. Hope you found it helpful!
Thanks for the all work and sharing it. This is one of the finest running videos I have seen so far. Thanks again.
Lol, Kitata appears to have a marathon best of 2:04:49
the best running lesson I eve got!
Glad to have stumbled across this video.
Hope you found it helpful!
Yesss good contents i usually run 5kms but this video helps me a lot
Thank you 🙏 In fairness, Kipchoge was pretty handy over 5,000m too 😂
sir, your analysis is so perfect
Thank you!! Great analysis, very clear!
Wow. I didn't realise how important form is. It's amazing how heel striking can remove so much forward momentum, Eliud's form is so efficient. I wonder how much better that other dude could get if he just improves his form.
That other dude finished the London marathon 2020 in the first place. And in this particular race which is London Marathon 2018, he finished in second place. Running form will not make much difference to the time. It will prevent injuries though. Many past Olympic champions ran with a "bad" running form. It's about your lungs and heart.
Dude this is appreciated I have been running forefoot but it makes sense you said it maximizes landing time to to run midfoot.
I meant to say appreciated lol
😂
I am currently documenting my marathon prep over on my channel and one of the biggest questions I have around form is, How do you keep yourself honest on those long easy runs? What I mean by that is, I find my form gets a little sloppy when the goal is to log those long easy miles.
Hey Matt! Which marathon are you training for? This video addresses exactly what your describe re maintaining good form on long easy runs: ua-cam.com/video/R7TpxcNwkgQ/v-deo.html
@@JamesDunne hey. I will be running the Fredericton marathon in Fredericton, New Brunswick Canada 🇨🇦. Thanks 🙏 I will go check out that video.
Incredibly informative. Thanks!!!
What a CLASS video!!!!
Stunningly good analysis and content James. Thank you! 🙏
Hi James, I've recently watched an analysis on east African runners and how they swing their arms. I think it's very important to look into the arm swing where the arms are always close to the chest. The biomechanics are broken down by a blog. I would want to hear your take on that. I personally feel that it is more efficient than the "conventional" arm swing. It's amazing how this is so helpful yet not commonly being discussed.
Can you share a link ?
I think its interesting that Kipchoge clearly goes through the heel strike motion with his foot but his foot sort of hovers for a bit so he touches the ground with the balls on his feet. Rolling your feet is effective to keep high speeds for long durations, but it has downsides, like it can be harmful for the foot and a longer duration of friction. Eliud must have trained his running technique for years to hit it with such perfect timing every step he takes. Incredible to see
Great Insight!!!! Gonna try this very soon
Thanks for the video! I'm 32 years old and trying to run ONE mile at Kipchoge's marathon pace (Sub ~4:34), current PR 4:44 this is very helpful. I'm 5' 5" but probably a little shorter legged than him but I feel that we have a similar frame, shorter legs high turnover. He and I are nearly identical in our toe strike. Valuable to consider relaxed form and the center of gravity.
Why not try to maintain that pace for a whole marathon?
Amazing analysis thank you
Good video,so glad You made it Thank you.🙂
Running high his springy bent legs only straightens out behind him pushing off with flow, gliding and hopping to the next foot strike turnover🤘
I'm curious about Kipchoge's foot landing position in terms of ankle inversion and toes pointing slightly outward at touch down. Looks to me like this results in a pretty pronounced amount of pronation as he carries through stance phase... dare I say "overpronation." I use the quotes because I am a skeptic about the categorization of some pronation as excessive versus a lesser degree as "neutral." It seems a rather arbitrary distinction, difficult to measure quantitatively (since the motion happens in fractions of a second), and may not be altered by various forms of technology in stability shoes such as "medial posting" or "guide rails." I think a large part of it is just a false classification system embraced by the shoe industry to market products, and pushed by podiatrists to sell custom orthotic inserts (both parties have substantial conflict of interest in terms of selling something).
Should we as runners even be thinking about such a small and fast motion at the end of our extremities? Or is it counterproductive to address specifically when there are larger gait mechanics at play up higher in the kinetic chain which may be potential targets to improve running efficiency/economy?
It would be interesting to compare footage of him in marathons pre-vaporfly, when he was using the Nike Streak or other more traditional racing flats, to see if the high stack of soft zoomX foam may be contributing to more pronation.
I don't mean to come off as overly critical -- this is one of your best videos in my opinion. Appreciate all of your great content James, and any insights you may have on Kipchoge's pronation here.
Great analysis ✅✅🙏...I love this
The runners with the best form imo are Eliud Kipchoge of course, Meb Keflezighi, and Edward Cheserek, and Geoffrey kamworor. Other runners I watch with form great form are the Colorado runners and the also the elite high schoolers at footlocker nationals. Some of these guys have great form.
He keeps his knees bent to keep the power cycle🔄 going
Can you even run with straight legs? 🤔
Very informative. Thank you
Amazing videos! You have made us a big fan!
if focusing on footstrike and cadence works for you, more power to you. But I think the "real" secret to his form and any optimum running form is up higher, in the back, particularly the mid and lower back. Mis-alignment aka tightening in the mid-back will have a chain effect into the lower back and screw up everything on down. Focusing on footstrike, in this context, is futile. For those of you who don't suspect any problems here, you can skip the rest of this. I used to take a yoga stick and hold it in the crook of my elbows across the upper , mid-back. It first made me aware of all the tightness there. Holding the yoga stick horizontally, apply a little forward pressure, across the mid back aided me in feeling the tightness and releasing it. And as soon as I released there, in the mid-back, I could feel a release in the lower back. Of course you don't run this way. It's just a way to get a feel for what's happening.
Kipchoge and Bekele have almost the same form except for Bekele's pronounced forward lean. I think he does it to compensate for his lesser height in order to cover more ground than his competitors. Am I right, James?
Such an amazing analysis!
Every one of the runners I see every day landing on their toes in minimalist shoes need to watch this slow-mo footage of his mid-foot landings in well-cushioned shoes.