Is Your Running Form Causing You Injuries?
Running is one of the simplest and most effective forms of exercise. Lace up your shoes, step outside, and go — easy, right?
But what if your running technique is actually increasing your risk of injury?
As physiotherapists, we often see runners who are struggling with recurring issues: shin splints, knee pain, Achilles problems, ITB syndrome, or lower back tightness. While factors like training load and footwear matter, running form is a key piece of the puzzle that often gets overlooked.
In this post, we’ll break down how poor running mechanics can lead to injury — and what you can do to improve your technique.
🧍♂️ Running Is a Skill — Not Just Fitness
Many people assume that because running is natural, it doesn’t require much technique. But like swimming or lifting weights, running has mechanics — and when those mechanics are off, your body has to compensate somewhere else.
Small issues in form, especially when repeated over thousands of steps, can place excess strain on your joints, muscles, and tendons.
🔄 Common Running Technique Issues We See
Here are some of the most common form faults that can contribute to injury:
1. Overstriding
Landing with your foot too far in front of your body often leads to a heavy heel strike. This increases impact forces and slows you down.
Injuries linked to overstriding:
Shin splints
Knee pain (especially patellofemoral issues)
Hip flexor strain
2. Poor Pelvic Control
If your hips drop side to side when you run, or your pelvis tilts excessively forward, this can overload the lower back, glutes, and knees.
Injuries linked to poor pelvic control:
ITB syndrome
Gluteal tendinopathy
Low back pain
3. Collapsing Knees (Dynamic Knee Valgus)
This happens when your knees fall inward during the stance phase. It’s often related to weak hip stabilisers or foot mechanics.
Injuries linked to this issue:
Runner’s knee
ACL strain
Hip pain
4. Stiff or Bouncy Running
Some runners have a very vertical, bouncy style that wastes energy and increases loading through the calves and Achilles.
Injuries linked to excessive bounce:
Achilles tendinopathy
Calf strains
Plantar fasciitis
🦶 Your Feet Matter Too
Foot strike patterns (heel, midfoot, forefoot) get a lot of attention, but they’re not the whole story. What matters more is where your foot lands in relation to your centre of mass and how your body absorbs force through the stride.
That said, rapid changes in foot strike (like switching to forefoot running without preparation) can cause issues. So if you're changing your technique, do it gradually — ideally with a physio's guidance.
👣 What Can You Do?
1. Get a Running Assessment
A gait analysis by a physiotherapist can help identify exactly what’s going on in your running form. We’ll look at your posture, stride length, cadence, foot strike, and joint angles — and give you practical feedback and drills to improve.
2. Strengthen Key Muscle Groups
Good form relies on strong, stable muscles — especially in the core, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. A personalised strength program can correct imbalances and reduce injury risk.
3. Work on Running Drills
Drills like high knees, A-skips, and bounding can help retrain your brain and body to move more efficiently.
4. Review Your Training Load
Sometimes it’s not your form — it’s the sudden spike in volume or intensity. We can help you structure your training so that your body adapts safely.
🏃♂️ The Bottom Line
If you keep getting niggles or injuries when you run, your technique could be part of the problem.
The good news? With some small adjustments and the right guidance, most runners can improve their form, reduce injury risk, and even run faster or more comfortably.
