What is the Correct Foot Strike for Running? Worlds Top Coach Says Forefoot Strike NOT Heel Strike

24/02/2025 Bretta Riches Forefoot Running Tips 44

When it comes to optimal running performance and injury prevention, running form (biomechanics) is at the forefoot-front. The best long distance running coach in history, Alberto Salazar, emphasizes that if you want to be the best distance runner, you need to adopt the foot strike mechanics of a sprinter, and that means, land with a forefoot strike (shown below), not a heel strike. This is not a new philosophy as most of the world record holders in the marathon, 10,000m, and 5,000m are overwhelmingly forefoot runners.

What Foot Strike Causes Shin Splints?
Forefoot striking has not only led the way for breaking countless world records, its also led the way as the safest way to run. Forefoot strking involves landing on the balls of the foot, not high up on your toes, and it puts your entire biomechanics in a better position that helps silence many of the types of highly injurious impact linked to heel strike running.

For those unfamiliar with Alberto Salazar, he was the head coach of one of the top track teams in the world, the Oregon Track Project. Salazar coached Mo Farah to two Olympic gold medals and Galen Rupp to an Olympic silver medal, to name a few.  Also, Salazar was a professional marathon runner, but cut his career short due to endless severe injuries. He was also a heel strike runner, and recently put the blame on heel striking for his career-ending injuries.

What is the Correct Foot Strike for Running? Worlds Top Coach Says Forefoot Strike NOT Heel Strike
World-renowned distance running coach, Alberto Salazar, says forefoot running is good, and heel strike running is very bad.

Is Heel Strike Running Faster? No!
Galen Rupp and Mo Farah were instructed by Salazar to avoid heel striking, and instead, adopt a forefoot strike for better gas mileage, and minimal risk of major injury

Most recreational runners heel strike because the construction of the standard running shoe has more padding under the  heel than the front of shoe. This large heel-to-toe offset makes it easier to heel strike whereby heel striking is a net contributor to most injuries, especially severe injuries, such as long bones injuries. This is because landing heel-first sets into motion an over-stride, a torso posture that lags too far behind, low step-rate (foot grapples with the ground for too long) and greater foot step-instabilities, all of which add up the physical stressors that causes knee pain, shins splints, hip injury and lower back strain. Conversely, forefoot running has been most effective in reducing, even preventing many of these injurious risk factors, which is why its a necessary imperative for a runner.

When did Salazar come to realize that forefoot is best?

Salazar noticed the most Ethiopian distance runners such as Kenenisa Bekela, Tirunesh Dibaba and Haile Gebrselassie, who are the best distance runners in history, ran on their forefoot, not their heels.

Unlike many non-African elite distance runners, the smooth, effortless stride of these Ethiopian distance runners is attributed to a forefoot running style. Why do Ethiopian distance runners run like this? Because of running barefoot. All Ethiopian children run barefoot, for obvious reasons and barefoot running is the solution to better biomechanical efficiency for both walking and running.


Essentially, Salazar wanted his athletes to run like the Ethiopian runners, with a forefoot strike, not a heel strike. Salazar also incorporates barefoot running drills as part of his athletes training regiment since barefoot running enhances forefoot strike mechanics.

Forefoot Running is Safer

Salazar mentioned that forefoot running minimizes braking and peak impact forces because the foot lands closer to the body (center of mass).

  • Braking and impact is higher in heel strike running and contributes to common running injuries such as runners knee and shin splints.

Forefoot running also reduces ground contact time. The less time the foot spends on the ground, the better the chances of avoiding injury.

  • “After foot strike, the foot needs to pop up quickly off the ground, up to the butt, the legs cannot trail behind” Salazar explained.

Moreover, Salazar places less emphasis on a high knee drive and instead, recommends lifting the foot up off the ground under, or behind the body to allow forward momentum when running.

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The Take Home Message

Thanks to Salazar’s insight on forefoot running as well as the work by Dr. Lieberman, more research is putting the spotlight on forefoot running because the exchange of momentum with the body and ground is lower than in heel strike running.

Nevertheless, coaches like Salazar, who recognize that humans were meant to run forefoot, has important implications for understanding the mechanics of forefoot running and its role in injury prevention.

References

Bobbert, MF., Schamhardt, HC., Nigg. BM. (1991). Calculation of vertical ground reaction force estimates during running from positional data. J Biomech 24, 1095-105.

Cavanagh, PR and Lafortune, MA. (1980). Ground reaction forces in distance running. J Biomech 13, 397-406.

Laughton, C., Davis, IM., and Hamill, J. (2014). Effect of Strike Pattern and Orthotic Intervention on Tibial Shock During Running.  J Appl Biomech 19 (2).

Lieberman et al. (2010). Foot strike patterns and collision forces in habitually barefoot versus shod runners. Nature 463, 531-535

Pohl, MB., Hamill, J and Davis, IS. (2000). Biomechanical and anatomic factors associated with a history of plantar fasciitis in female runners. Clin J Sport Med 9, 372-6.

McClay, I and Williams, D. Lower extremity mechanics in a converted forefoot strike pattern in runners. (1998). North American Congress on Biomechanics.

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P.S. Don't forget to check out the Run Forefoot Facebook Page, it's a terrific place to ask questions about forefoot running, barefoot running and injury. I'm always happy to help!

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