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Trail running

Running / Popular

Adjust footing, effort and technique off-road.

What coaches agree on

  • Scan the trail 5 to 15 feet ahead of you rather than looking down at your feet, so you have time to spot obstacles and choose exactly where to place your next few steps.
  • When a climb gets too steep to run efficiently, switch to hiking or power-hiking - it uses different muscles, saves your legs for later, and is often just as fast as forcing a run.
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  • Lean forward from your ankles rather than bending at the hips or waist, adjusting the angle to the grade - into the hill on climbs, and again into the slope on descents.
  • Actively swing or wing your arms out to the sides rather than just driving them forward and back - it's what keeps you balanced on technical or downhill terrain.

Common mistakes

  • Overreaching for a distant rock or gap in one big stride instead of taking an extra quick step - it's what leads to a missed foothold, a trip, or a hard fall on technical terrain.
  • Judging a trail run by GPS pace - climbs, technical footing, and weather dictate your pace far more than fitness does, which makes chasing or comparing trail paces mostly meaningless and discouraging.