Why Most Elite Marathoners Heel Strike (And Why You Should Stop Worrying About It)
Estimated read time: 3.7 minutes (still less time than you spend doom scrolling Strava after your run 🤔)
Hey Performance Nerds! Jonah here. 🤓
Your foot strike probably isn’t the reason you’re not running faster.
Every year, runners second-guess their form, switch shoes, or try to “fix” their stride, convinced that how their foot hits the ground is holding them back.
So we’re resurfacing one of our most-read pieces for a reason:
This question keeps coming up, and the science hasn’t changed:
Why most elite marathoners heel strike
Why changing your foot strike rarely improves performance
Where injury risk actually comes from
When a change might help, and when it’s more likely to backfire
(Augie thinks foot strike debates are silly. He heel strikes, forefoot strikes, and occasionally face-plants, yet somehow never overthinks it.)
🚨 Before you go, happy new year.
I'll be honest: I started 2025 a little lost about what came next for me.
But looking back, one thing stands out.
Writing these newsletters became the thing I looked forward to most each week. Not because of the writing itself, but because of what came after: your emails. Messages about PRs you've chased for years. Training finally making sense. Nutrition tips that fueled performance.
This year, I realized how much this community means to me. Cutting through the noise, translating the research, and helping you train smarter became the work I care most about. I didn't know how much I needed that.
So thank you. You gave me something I didn't know I was looking for.
Excited to keep supporting you with clear, honest science in 2026.
As always, hit reply if I can help in any way. Your referral link below also unlocks free prizes as a thank you.
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Heel Striking vs Forefoot Striking: What Actually Matters for Marathon Runners
In distance running, foot strike patterns usually fall into two buckets:
Heel Strike (Rearfoot Strike): Your heel contacts the ground first, then the rest of the foot follows.
Midfoot and Forefoot Strike: The middle or front of the foot contacts the ground first.
That’s it. No foot strike secretly winning a gold medal.
(For the record, I’m a heel striker. Still running. Still healthy.)
Where the Stress Actually Goes (This Is the Real Difference)
The main difference between foot strike patterns is not efficiency, it’s where load is absorbed.
Heel striking tends to shift load toward:
Knees
Hips
Shins
Upper leg musculature
Mid or forefoot striking shifts more load toward:
Calves
Achilles tendon
Foot and ankle structures
Neither pattern is inherently safer or more dangerous. They simply stress different tissues.
Think of this as load distribution, not good vs bad mechanics.
Should You Change Your Foot Strike? (Probably Not.)
Many runners assume elite marathoners are mostly mid or forefoot strikers.
That assumption is wrong.
Research consistently shows that roughly 70–75% of elite marathon runners are heel strikers, including many of the fastest marathoners in history.
Around 75% of elite marathoners actually heel strike—including some of the fastest in the world!
More importantly:
Research shows switching from heel striking to mid or forefoot striking does not improve running economy in trained runners.
And running economy is one of the strongest predictors of marathon performance.
What this means for you: There is no performance upside to forcing a foot strike change if you’re healthy.
Your body has already adapted to how you land.
Bottom line: Let your feet strike the ground however your heart desires. You do you!
The One Time Heel Striking Actually Doesn’t Make Sense
The one-time heel striking is a big no-no is when you sprint.
At very high speeds, ground contact time matters more. Heel striking usually increases contact time because you roll through the entire foot.
That’s why elite sprinters are always mid or forefoot strikers. If you’re racing Usain Bolt, don’t heel strike.
If you’re racing a marathon, you can stop worrying about it.
Does Foot Strike Actually Increase Injury Risk?
You’ve probably heard some version of this:
“Heel striking causes injuries.”
There is no high-quality evidence showing that heel strikers or forefoot strikers have higher overall injury rates.
What does change is where injuries tend to show up.
Heel strikers more commonly report:
Knee pain
Hip or lower back issues
Mid or forefoot strikers more commonly report:
Calf strains
Achilles tendon issues
Foot or ankle pain
Same injury risk. Different tissues taking the load.
Heel Strikers are more prone to knee, hip, and lower back issues 🦵. Forefoot Strikers may feel it in their calves, Achilles, and ankles 🦶
Why Changing Your Foot Strike Can Backfire
Changing foot strike redistributes load to tissues that may not be prepared for it.
If you abruptly switch to a forefoot strike:
Calves and Achilles suddenly face much higher demands
Those tissues adapt slowly
Injury risk rises if progression is rushed
Many injuries blamed on heel striking appear after runners try to “fix” it.
When Changing Your Form Can Actually Help
There are situations where modifying foot strike makes sense, but they’re specific.
Short-term adjustments can help manage pain:
Calf, Achilles, or foot pain:
A slightly more rearfoot strike may temporarily reduce strain on these tissues.
Knee pain:
A subtle shift toward midfoot contact can reduce knee load for some runners.
These are pain-management tools, not permanent upgrades.
Always make changes gradually, and ideally with guidance from a physical therapist or coach.
Shoes and Foot Strike: What Actually Matters (and What Doesn’t)
Shoes don’t dictate foot strike, but they can support how you naturally move.
The goal is not to force a pattern, it’s to avoid fighting your mechanics.
Instead of focusing on specific models, here are the key characteristics that tend to feel better depending on how you naturally land.
If you tend to heel strike
Look for shoes with:
Adequate heel cushioning to attenuate impact
A smooth heel rocker or bevel that allows easy roll-through
Moderate to higher heel-to-toe drop, which often feels more natural for rearfoot loading
Enough rearfoot stability to avoid collapse at contact
If you tend to midfoot or forefoot strike
Look for shoes with:
A later or more aggressive forefoot rocker
A responsive forefoot platform, not just a soft heel
Lower or moderate drop, depending on calf tolerance
Geometry that doesn’t feel intrusive at the heel
A critical reminder
There’s no performance prize for matching a shoe to a label.
If you’re healthy and training well, comfort, tolerance, and consistency matter more than chasing a “perfect” geometry.
Want deeper shoe-specific analysis?
If you want model-by-model breakdowns grounded in footwear biomechanics, I strongly recommend the Doctors of Running podcast and blog.
They specialize in shoe geometry, loading patterns, and long-term injury considerations, and they do an excellent job translating that nuance.
👟 Practical Summary: Stop Overthinking Your Foot Strike
Foot strike is not a performance lever for marathon runners.
What actually matters:
Tissue tolerance
Training consistency
Intelligent load management
Key takeaways:
Most elite marathoners heel strike
Changing foot strike does not improve efficiency
Injury risk is similar across patterns
Different strike types stress different tissues
Change only to manage pain, not chase hype
If you’re healthy and training well, your foot strike is probably fine.
Are You a True Running Nerd? Prove it.. 🧐
Welcome to the prove you’re a nerd section. Each week, I ask a question about a common running science myth.
Answer correctly, and you’ll be entered into a weekly raffle to win a package of Jonah’s favorite supplements.
What is the primary physiological difference between slow-twitch (Type I) and fast-twitch (Type II) muscle fibers in endurance running?
- A. Slow-twitch fibers are more fatigue-resistant and energy-efficient, while fast-twitch fibers produce more force but fatigue faster 🧬🏃♂️
- B. Fast-twitch fibers use more oxygen but generate less force, making them better for long-distance running 🫁⬇️
- C. Slow-twitch fibers rely mainly on glycogen, while fast-twitch fibers burn mostly fat 🍞🥑
- D. Fast-twitch fibers are only recruited at sprint speeds and are not involved in marathon running at all 🚫⚡
Last Week’s Results: Your Gut Sets the Ceiling
This one tripped up a lot of runners who were taught there’s a hard cap on carb intake. The data tells a different story.
The correct answer?
D. Individual-specific, sometimes >90 g/hr in well-trained athletes with gut training, high oxidation demands, and glucose + fructose mixes ✅
Carb absorption isn’t fixed at 30, 60, or even 90 grams per hour. It depends on transporter availability, carb type, exercise intensity, and how much stress your gut has been trained to handle. With glucose and fructose using separate transporters, and repeated practice improving tolerance, some athletes can absorb and oxidize well beyond traditional limits.
Here’s how the votes shook out:
⬜️ A. ~30 g/hr, because that’s all the gut can handle during running – 18
⬜️ B. ~60 g/hr, once glucose transporters are saturated – 13
🟨 C. ~90 g/hr, using multiple transportable carbs – 27
🟩 D. Individual-specific, sometimes >90 g/hr with gut training and mixed carbs – 164 ✅
Bottom line?
Your fueling limit isn’t a universal number. It’s a trainable constraint, and for long, hard runs, the athletes who practice higher intakes are often the ones who can actually use them on race day.