Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What is foot strike of the fastest half marathon runner ever?
For context, we are looking at Jacob Kiplimo as he won the Chicago marathon in 2025
It is hard to get exact measurements due to limited frame rate from the video, but he seems to present with more of a mid-forefoot strike.
Footstrike pattern may influence how forces are distributed in the leg and body.
This pattern typically distributes forces more into the calf/ankle area compared to a heel strike pattern.
However, when doing a run analysis, I typically care less about the footstrike pattern and more about where it lands in relation to the body… otherwise looking for overstriding.
You will notice that the foot lands in front of the body, but this does not mean he is overstriding.
I bring up this point as I have helped plenty of runners who were told they were overstriding because the foot fall was in front of the hips, but as you can see, this is not necessarily a problem.
Instead, it may be better to look for a relatively vertical shin angle when landing, which you can see from Kiplimo.
When one is overstriding, we typically see something like this where there is more of an angle.
I’ll cover his landing from a front view in a future video.-
This is for educational purposes and should not replace medical advice.
If you are looking for more professional guidance from a running expert, check out the link in my bio!
-
#ama #runningtips #runningcommunity
What is foot strike of the fastest half marathon runner ever?
For context, we are looking at Jacob Kiplimo as he won the Chicago marathon in 2025
It is hard to get exact measurements due to limited frame rate from the video, but he seems to present with more of a mid-forefoot strike.
Footstrike pattern may influence how forces are distributed in the leg and body.
This pattern typically distributes forces more into the calf/ankle area compared to a heel strike pattern.
However, when doing a run analysis, I typically care less about the footstrike pattern and more about where it lands in relation to the body… otherwise looking for overstriding.
You will notice that the foot lands in front of the body, but this does not mean he is overstriding.
I bring up this point as I have helped plenty of runners who were told they were overstriding because the foot fall was in front of the hips, but as you can see, this is not necessarily a problem.
Instead, it may be better to look for a relatively vertical shin angle when landing, which you can see from Kiplimo.
When one is overstriding, we typically see something like this where there is more of an angle.
I’ll cover his landing from a front view in a future video.-
This is for educational purposes and should not replace medical advice.
If you are looking for more professional guidance from a running expert, check out the link in my bio!
-
#ama #runningtips #runningcommunity
