hey everyone i a new to the forum so am not sure as to whether this has been discussed before but i was wondering if you could help me.

i am currently in training for my first marathon in barcelona next year at the age of 18 and have only recently started doing longer runs.

my question is what is the best running technique, i have always ran with the classic technique landing on your heel and then rolling through and pushing of your toes but my dad seems convinced after reading a book that the best technique is with shorter strides to land on the ball of your foot and then push off again quickly.

does anyone have a view or seen anything to suport either of these techniques.

many thanks

each too their own - personally I say do what comes naturally to you! running on the forefoot puts extra strain on your calfs, and I would agree it can be better for speed, but i've no idea what effect it has over longer distances - I would imagine fatigue is higher! (my opinion/thought only of course)

Kelly Holmes runs/ran on her forefeet, but that was how she naturally ran. As far as I'm aware the majority run with the 'classic' technique. I've heard of people 'converting' to forefoot running, but it usually involves a few weeks of calf pain trying to adapt.

Your Dad isn't reading a book on pose techniue by any chance is he? There is also another technique called Chi Running that advocates mid-foot striking but it takes a great deal of concentration and practice to change your running style as you have to re-educate your body.

Where you foot lands can be determined by your natural biomechanics. For instance over pronators tend to heel strike and neutral runners are often forefoot strikers but there are always exceptions to the rule.

Advocaters of pose technique recommend barefoot running if you want to learn to runn on the balls of your feet but as Richard says I wouldn't bother unless you are having problems with your style.

Running for 26.2 miles is a long time to be on your feet and you want to be as comfortable as you can.

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Getting ready for the GNR

Ah yes, but surely it's worth a bit of calf pain if learning to strike with your forefoot is going to make you into a better and faster runner (and have you never heard of Ibuprofen?). I could be proven wrong, but I'd venture to say that NONE of our top class runners (not just Kelly Holmes) are heel strikers. Neither do they race in fancy built up heels that encourage such an injury inducing technique.
Cheers!

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Give me the hills!

You may well be right running fox, I only said Kelly Holmes as I'd read her book which mentions in it that she runs on her forefeet. I'd certainly be interested to find out!

To answer myself, lol, a quick google search found this:
Good short (but detailed) read on a study done over 1/2 mara distance for elite athletes;
EDIT: The percentage of midfoot strikers did increase with the in the quicker runners group, through RFS'ers were still in the majority.

Though it would appear that shorter distances lend themselves to MFS or FFS, particularly in sprints (which would explain why I was never a very good sprinter!).

OK, old Runningfox is 'proven wrong'. When I referred to forefoot striking, I meant landing with the ball of the foot as opposed to striking with the heel, i.e dividing the foot into two, not three. I personally regard it as the most economical way to run with far less stress and jolting to my ancient joints (ankles, knees, back, or whatever). I still think it is the preferred method of elite athletes. And I still think heel striking is the most harmful. And considering I've been able to carry on charging around the hills and run eighteen races since my 75th birthday in May without once having to resort to this Forum for advice about injury problems, it may go some way towards proving a point.
Cheers!

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Give me the hills!

I hope you don't think I posted the above info with the intent of proving you wrong Running fox, if so then my apologies as that certainly wasn't the case. It was merely the result of finding out further detail for my own interest.

I've heard mentioned many times about the injury prevention benefits of forefoot striking, and it does make sense, there's certainly a lot less jolting of joints going on! I tend to strike with the forefoot myself when i'm running uphill and it's undeniably a lot 'smoother'.

Another thought, does anyone know of those sort of walking/running springy stilt things (they were on a recent TV advert)?? I think they're designed in such a way that sort of works on the principle of a calf muscle and so replicates and exaggerates it mechanically.

Are you a convert to forefoot striking running fox or have you always ran that way? Regardless, your racing resume is undeniably impressive and FFS certainly works for you (together with great training discipline i'm sure!)

I must point out that Dame Kelly spent a great deal of her career on the injured list...
...Go figure.
Sprinters run on their toes. Distance runners (as a general rule) are heel-strikers. I would recommend (not only to you, but to any runner), not to try altering your running style. Just get out there and run with the style you were born with
(Actually, are we born with a style or do we develop a natural progression from walking?)

When I began running 21 years ago I was most definitely a heel striker. The main area of wear on my shoes was the outside rear heel which wore down in no time at all. I used to consider building the heel back up with 'Shoo-goo' but never got round to it because I didn't think it would last very long with the amount of punishment I was giving them - and clocking up to two thousand miles a year.
The transition to forefoot striking could be partly associated with beginning to run faster, but a really conscious effort was made after reading Gordon Pirie's book - Running Fast and Injury Free - which anyone can read, or download from the internet, by going to: http://www.gordonpirie.com. Pirie was perhaps clocking up to 200 miles a week with seemingly no ill effects. I'm not sure his book made me run any faster, I could never match his punishing schedules, but I could certainly run farther and easier with less aches and pains - which made it a more enjoyable experience.
Looking at my shoes now, most of the wear is on the outside in the ball of the foot area. As an added bonus, I'm getting more mileage from them too.
Cheers!

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Give me the hills!