Running Economy: How to Run More Efficiently | PXP Endurance
Running Economy: How to Run More Efficiently and Improve Running Form
If you've ever wondered how to run more efficiently, improve your race times without increasing your training volume, or simply make running feel easier, the answer may lie in your running economy.
Running economy is one of the strongest predictors of endurance performance. While aerobic fitness and VO₂max are important, two runners with similar fitness levels can produce very different race results simply because one moves more efficiently than the other.
One of the biggest contributors to better running economy is developing greater springiness and optimal leg stiffness—the ability of your muscles and tendons to store and return energy with every stride.
The good news? These qualities can be developed through smart training, better movement mechanics, and targeted strength work.
What Is Running Economy?
Running economy describes the amount of energy—or oxygen—you use to maintain a given running pace.
Think of it like fuel efficiency in a car.
A runner with excellent running economy uses less energy to run at the same speed than someone with poor economy. Over the course of a 10 km, half marathon, marathon, or ultra-distance race, those energy savings become significant.
Improving your running economy means you can:
* Run faster at the same effort.
* Hold race pace for longer.
* Delay fatigue.
* Recover more efficiently between hard sessions.
* Improve endurance without necessarily increasing fitness.
This is why improving running efficiency is a major focus for elite athletes and endurance coaches.
How Your Body Works Like a Spring
When you run, your body behaves much like a spring.
As your foot lands, your muscles and tendons absorb force and store elastic energy. During push-off, that stored energy is released to propel you forward.
The primary structures involved include:
* Achilles tendon
* Plantar fascia
* Calf muscles
* Foot arch
* Lower leg muscles
Rather than relying entirely on muscular effort, efficient runners recycle energy from one stride to the next.
The more elastic energy you can recover, the less energy your muscles must produce—and the easier running becomes.
What Is Leg Stiffness?
Despite its name, leg stiffness does not mean running with rigid or locked legs.
Instead, it describes how well your leg resists excessive collapse when it contacts the ground.
Imagine bouncing on two springs.
One compresses deeply before slowly rebounding.
The other compresses only slightly before quickly returning energy.
The second spring loses far less energy.
Efficient runners demonstrate a similar quality. Their legs absorb impact while remaining responsive enough to return energy rapidly into the next stride.
Appropriate leg stiffness is associated with:
* Shorter ground contact time
* Better force transfer
* Reduced energy loss
* Improved running economy
* More efficient movement patterns
However, more stiffness is not always better. The goal is finding the right balance between stability, shock absorption, and elastic recoil.
How Running Form Affects Running Economy
One of the most common questions athletes ask is, "How can I improve my running form?"
The answer is less about copying elite runners and more about improving how your body interacts with the ground.
Many runners unknowingly waste energy through:
* Overstriding
* Excessive vertical bouncing
* Heavy foot strikes
* Long ground contact times
* Poor posture
* Low cadence
Each of these can reduce running efficiency.
Rather than forcing dramatic technique changes, most athletes benefit from gradually improving the qualities that naturally create better mechanics.
When strength, mobility, and neuromuscular coordination improve, efficient running form often follows.
Five Ways to Improve Running Economy
Improving running economy doesn't happen through one magic drill. Instead, it comes from combining several training methods that enhance force production, tendon elasticity, and movement efficiency.
1. Build Strength
Strength training forms the foundation of efficient running.
Focus on exercises such as:
* Squats
* Romanian deadlifts
* Split squats
* Step-ups
* Heavy calf raises
* Single-leg exercises
Strength allows you to produce greater force while improving joint stability and reducing unnecessary movement.
Aim for two sessions each week during most training phases.
2. Add Plyometric Training
Plyometric exercises teach your muscles and tendons to absorb and release force rapidly.
Effective exercises include:
* Pogo jumps
* Bounding
* Single-leg hops
* Skipping
* Line hops
These exercises improve the spring-like behavior of the lower limbs, helping you spend less time on the ground and return more energy with each stride.
Start with low volumes and prioritize quality over quantity.
3. Include Running Strides
Strides remain one of the simplest ways to improve running mechanics.
After an easy run, complete:
* 4–8 repetitions
* 20–30 seconds each
* Smooth acceleration to around 90–95% effort
* Full recovery between repetitions
Strides reinforce efficient movement patterns without creating excessive fatigue.
4. Run Short Hill Sprints
Hill sprints develop power, coordination, and reactive strength.
A simple session might include:
* 6–8 repetitions
* 8–12 seconds uphill
* Full walking recovery
The incline naturally encourages better running mechanics while reducing braking forces compared with sprinting on flat ground.
5. Strengthen Your Feet and Ankles
Your feet are the first point of contact with the ground.
Developing stronger feet improves stability, balance, and energy transfer.
Simple additions include:
* Barefoot balance exercises
* Toe yoga
* Short-foot drills
* Controlled calf raises
* Walking barefoot on safe natural surfaces
These exercises require only a few minutes several times each week.
Simple Running Form Cues That Work
If you're trying to improve your running form, avoid overthinking every movement.
Instead, use simple cues that encourage efficient mechanics:
* Run tall through your posture.
* Land beneath your hips rather than reaching forward.
* Think "light and quick."
* Push the ground away rather than jumping upward.
* Relax your shoulders and arms.
* Maintain a comfortable cadence.
Small improvements repeated over thousands of steps produce meaningful gains over time.
Common Mistakes That Reduce Running Efficiency
Many runners unknowingly make changes that actually decrease running economy.
Common mistakes include:
* Trying to run on the toes at all times.
* Taking excessively long strides.
* Bouncing too high.
* Running with unnecessary muscular tension.
* Adding too much plyometric training too quickly.
* Ignoring strength training.
The most efficient runners appear relaxed because they allow their tendons—not just their muscles—to do much of the work.
Better Running Is About Better Movement
Improving running economy isn't about chasing perfect technique.
It's about becoming stronger, more coordinated, and more reactive so your body naturally moves more efficiently.
When your muscles, tendons, and nervous system work together effectively, you'll spend less energy on every stride—whether you're running a fast 5 km, a marathon, or an ultra-endurance event.
Final Thoughts
If you're looking for one of the highest-return investments in your running, focus on improving your running economy.
Developing strength, springiness, and efficient movement patterns can help you:
* Run more efficiently.
* Improve running form.
* Reduce fatigue.
* Lower injury risk.
* Perform better across every race distance.
At PXP Endurance, we believe every athlete can become a more economical runner. Through evidence-based coaching, purposeful strength training, and intelligent endurance programming, we help athletes build not only greater fitness but greater efficiency—because the fastest runners aren't always those who work the hardest, but those who waste the least energy.