Uploaded February 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Running coaches argue about this all the time... but here's what science says.
Lets add context.
Sprinters will naturally land around the forefoot area.
However, the discussion gets a bit more interesting when it comes to distance runners.
How you land can actually influence how forces are distributed throughout the leg.
Based on this graph, you can see rearfoot strike biases more loads on the knee and hip, while with forefoot strike, you can see a large bias towards the ankle area.
Changing foot strike can be useful when navigating an injury, like around the knee.
You can change to more of a forefoot strike pattern to offload the knee, which may help someone continue running.
Though, if you have no issues, don’t worry too much about it.
There has been research looking at specifically changing foot strike pattern in runners and saw no improvements in decreasing injuries.
I am not saying technique does not matter, but actively changing foot strike pattern is low on my priority list for improving technique.
Instead, lets focus on the more important things.
-
This is for educational purposes and should not replace medical advice. If you are dealing with persistent running related injuries, I recommend seeing a healthcare professional.
Running coaches argue about this all the time... but here's what science says.
Lets add context.
Sprinters will naturally land around the forefoot area.
However, the discussion gets a bit more interesting when it comes to distance runners.
How you land can actually influence how forces are distributed throughout the leg.
Based on this graph, you can see rearfoot strike biases more loads on the knee and hip, while with forefoot strike, you can see a large bias towards the ankle area.
Changing foot strike can be useful when navigating an injury, like around the knee.
You can change to more of a forefoot strike pattern to offload the knee, which may help someone continue running.
Though, if you have no issues, don’t worry too much about it.
There has been research looking at specifically changing foot strike pattern in runners and saw no improvements in decreasing injuries.
I am not saying technique does not matter, but actively changing foot strike pattern is low on my priority list for improving technique.
Instead, lets focus on the more important things.
-
This is for educational purposes and should not replace medical advice. If you are dealing with persistent running related injuries, I recommend seeing a healthcare professional.
