Forefoot running may do a better job at reducing tension on the hamstrings as compared with heel strike running. This is because making the conscious effort of landing on the balls of the foot (forefoot strike) during running causes the knee to bend slightly which has the direct effect of reducing stretch force, and therefore tension on the hamstrings. Even better, the increased knee-bend at touchdown in forefoot running enables the foot to land closer to the mass of the body which in turn reduces the brake force low enough to avoid a high compressive wave. As a result, less compressive load is transmitted to the hamstrings as compared with heel strike running. Read more here!
Bretta Riches
"I believe the forefoot strike is the engine of endurance running..."
BSc Neurobiology; MSc Biomechanics candidate, ultra minimalist runner & founder of RunForefoot. I was a heel striker, always injured. I was inspired by the great Tirunesh Dibaba to try forefoot running. Now, I'm injury free. This is why I launched Run Forefoot, to advocate the health & performance benefits of forefoot running and to raise awareness on the dangers of heel striking, because the world needs to know.
BSc Neurobiology; MSc Biomechanics candidate, ultra minimalist runner & founder of RunForefoot. I was a heel striker, always injured. I was inspired by the great Tirunesh Dibaba to try forefoot running. Now, I'm injury free. This is why I launched Run Forefoot, to advocate the health & performance benefits of forefoot running and to raise awareness on the dangers of heel striking, because the world needs to know.