By Keith Bateman and Heidi Jones
We explore common running myths that can undermine performance and increase the risk of injury. These myths are often repeated by well-meaning coaches and medical professionals — yet many are based on flawed assumptions, outdated research, or a misunderstanding of biomechanics.
Myth: Running is bad for your knees
Why running injuries happen: see Chapter 2
This belief overlooks a simple truth: runners with good technique rarely suffer knee injuries — so they’re underrepresented in doctors’ offices.
Knee stress is primarily caused by poor running technique, often made worse by poor shoe choice — not by running itself. If you run efficiently, injury risk is reduced to minor problems such as the occasional pulled muscle.
Good technique protects the knees
How good technique works: see Chapter 3
Knee injuries typically occur due to excessive stress during the landing phase — not from running itself. Runners with good technique land smoothly with a progressive landing, minimal braking, and upright alignment. The bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia work together to create a flexible, low-impact landing. This also generates a spring effect, enabling runners to reuse much of the landing force to propel themselves up and forward into a longer stride. As a result, there is no harsh landing and no excessive pressure on the knees or any other part of the body.
Poor technique increases knee stress
Self-assessment — check your technique: see Chapter 1
Overstriding — landing with the foot too far in front of the body — creates a strong braking effect that jars the joints. This stresses the knees (and hips, IT band, back, etc.) thousands of times per hour, even at low cadences. This repetitive stress results in knee and other injuries.
Footwear is a factor
See Chapter 14: Shoes – what you need to know
Most shoes include features that make matters worse:
- Excessive cushioning increases ground contact time, reduces stability, and transfers stress up the body.
- Pronation control and orthotics interfere with natural suspension, causing harder landings.
- Heel drops prevent proper alignment, causing poor landings with more impact.
Myth: Engage your core
See Chapter 15 How to get a hot runner’s body
You’ve probably heard that engaging your core is essential to good running form. But this reverses cause and effect.
Good runners have a strong core
When you run with correct form — finishing your landings in a nearly vertical alignment — your core muscles automatically engage to stabilise your spine. This happens naturally when your body is properly aligned.
Trying to force core engagement — especially while wearing heeled shoes or running with poor form — won’t help.
Focus on form, not muscles
Once your form improves, your core will respond. Let good mechanics and posture drive activation — not the other way around.
Myth: Over-pronation needs correction via shoes or orthotics
Shoes and orthotics: see Chapter 14 & Appendix B
Many runners are told they “pronate” (actually meaning they over-pronate) and that they need correction via shoes or orthotics. Everyone pronates. As described in Chapter 3, the inward-rolling motion (pronation) starts as the foot touches the ground in a slightly supinated position (foot tipped outward). This allows the body to absorb the impact of landing and adapt to uneven surfaces.
Why over-pronation?
Over-pronation usually results from weak glutes, poor posture, and overstriding — all made worse by shoes with heel drops. Using orthotics or motion-control shoes further weakens the feet and reinforces bad mechanics. This can cause pain in the knees, hips, and back.
The solution
Fix the root cause by improving technique and rebuilding strength. You don’t need artificial support — you need better running technique and stronger, more functional feet.
Myth: Leaning forward propels you
See Chapter 16: Tips and traps
Some say you should “fall forward” when running, letting gravity pull you ahead. But gravity doesn’t work that way. At a constant speed on flat ground, any forward lean must be balanced by an equal amount of braking. In other words, the amount you lean forward equals the amount you unconsciously sit back.
Gravity pulls you down, not forward
Falling forward doesn’t generate forward motion — it’s your own muscles and your existing speed that move you forward.
The illusion of falling
If you feel like you’re leaning forward without accelerating, it’s likely just your head and torso are angled forward (you are overstriding and have poor posture).
Myth: Focus on foot strike
See Chapter 16: Tips and traps
Runners often obsess over foot strike — heel, midfoot, or forefoot. But this narrow focus misses the bigger picture.
All foot strikes can be problematic
Whether you land on your heel or forefoot, overstriding causes braking and impact. It’s possible to land heavily in any position if your foot is too far in front.
Risks of forced forefoot striking
We see a large number of runners deliberately landing only on their forefoot. Not only does this look silly but it is slow and damaging.
Trying to mimic elite runners’ forefoot strike can lead to injuries such as:
- Metatarsal stress fractures
- Plantar fasciitis
- Achilles tendonitis
- Peroneal strain
Foot strike should vary
Your landing changes with terrain, speed, and footwear. Let your foot strike adjust naturally as a consequence of good form.
Focus on balance, not the foot
When you finish your landings near vertically aligned, your feet will do what they’re built to do. That’s the key to safe, efficient running.
Myth: Copy elite runners’ movements
See Chapter 16: Tips and traps
Watching elite runners is inspiring, but trying to mimic individual aspects of their form — cadence, knee height, foot height, foot strike — is counterproductive.
What you see is a result
High cadence, elevated knees, high feet and long strides are consequences of good form, speed, and fitness — not the causes. Forcing these features especially at slower speeds leads to inefficiency and potential injury.
Fix your technique
Rather than mimicking surface-level traits, aim to land balanced — that is, finish your landings close to vertical alignment or, in other words, learn efficient technique.
This one adjustment creates a domino effect, improving all aspects of your form — naturally. We show you how to do this in a sequence of easy steps in Chapters 3 to 10.
Myth: 180 steps per minute is the minimum cadence
See Chapter 16: Tips and traps
Cadence is often treated as a magic number — but it’s not. There is no single ideal cadence.
Cadence varies with speed and fitness
Elite runners may run at 180–190 landings per minute because they’re moving fast. At slower speeds, a cadence of less than 180 may be optimal. As a guide, if you are running well, your cadence will probably not rise to 180 until you are running at about 5 min/km (8 min/mile). At higher speeds if you maintain good form it will rise a little more before it’s affected by fitness — as fatigue sets in, you must either slow down or increase cadence, or both.
Cadence follows form and fitness
Don’t try to hit a specific number. As your form improves and speed increases, cadence will rise to its naturally efficient level.
Myth: You should minimise vertical oscillation
See Chapter 16: Tips and traps
Some coaches advise runners to reduce how much their hips rise and fall — but this advice is misguided.
Good runners do oscillate
The flight phase of running requires upward movement. Think of a projectile in flight — it must go both up and forward. Too much upward motion and it won’t go far; too much forward and it’ll scrape along the ground. Runners with good technique appear to float through the air because their vertical oscillation is efficient — just enough for their speed.
Bad form wastes energy
Overstriding causes both hard landings and braking. In this case, there is little or no elastic rebound (good oscillation), and absorbing the braking forces causes the hips to drop. The hips must then rise again as the runner pushes up and forwards to regain lost speed. This dropping and rising is a sign of inefficiency — bad oscillation.
Don’t try to keep your hips level with the ground!
Eliminating vertical motion removes the elastic bounce that makes running efficient — and leads to an unnatural gait. It creates a very odd-looking walking action. Focus on balance, and oscillation will take care of itself.
Myth: Shortening your stride cures overstriding
See Chapter 16: Tips and traps
You may have been told to take shorter, faster steps to fix overstriding. But this leads to inefficient, ‘choppy’ running.
More steps ≠ better running
You can still overstride with shorter steps — you’re just overstriding more frequently, with little or no flight phase.
Efficiency comes from flight
Good runners increase both cadence and stride length by maximising elastic rebound.
The real fix
Fixing overstride isn’t about shortening your stride — it’s about where your foot lands relative to your body. Finish your landings with good vertical alignment (foot almost under your hips), and you’ll reduce braking, increase flight time, and run faster with less effort.