Forefoot Running

What is forefoot running?

Forefoot running is a running form that is the exact opposite of heel striking. It is when a runner's landing is on the ball of the foot opposed to on the heel.

What is it so special about it and how is it beneficial?

Running on the balls of your feet absorbs the impact of landing much better than heel striking. When you land on your heels the shock goes from your heel, to your knees, and up to your hips. Landing on the balls of your feet allows all the shock to be absorbed in the knee region but in a less damaging way. This will save joint and bone pain. It is also seen as more efficient and able to shave seconds off your PRs (Personal Records) When landing on the heel your foot does a roll from heel to toe and the pushes off the ground and repeats with the other foot. In forefoot running, your heel stays in the air or barely touches the ground,pushes off, and goes back into the air. In comparison, heel striking will take fractions of a second longer than landing on the forefoot. That may not seem like much, but how many steps do you take in a 5k race or marathon? Over a long period of time, running forefoot will take seconds or min. off your time in whatever race you do.

How do I become a forefoot runner?

It will take a little bit of discipline, but you can teach yourself to land on the balls of your feet. First start out slow and short. Try a lap around a local school track and just concentrate on landing on your forefoot. Make sure not to land on your toes because this will force you up too high and will put too much strain on your calf muscles. If you still find yourself landing more on your heels then shorten your stride. Do this till you feel comfortable going longer and faster.

There are shoes out on the market to help out runners making this transition or for current forefoot runners. The whole Newton line is devoted to forefoot running and are great to make the transition process easier. The Brooks Ghost is also a great shoe that is designed to land on the ball of your foot. I would really recommend trying one of the two of these shoes.