Improving Your Downhill Running Technique: Tips and Training Ideas

For most runners, downhills are where we recover and prepare ourselves for the next uphill. It is where we relax and allow our heart rates to drop. Steeper downhills are treated with caution so as not to pound our joints and quads and, on technical trails, where we try not to land on our faces. Watch the front few percent of any race field though, and you will see them attacking the descents and making the most of the gradient to increase speed and momentum. Paradoxically, our caution on the downhills could actually be doing more damage than good and the elite runner’s approach of pushing into the negative gradients is actually gentler on their bodies because the impact is quick and light. They flow down the hills while we are braking and pounding our way down. Their increase in speed has also got a lower metabolic cost because of their efficiency and their heart rates and effort still decrease, which is the same goal that we have. How do they achieve more speed for less effort and risk of injury? Practice.

Some technique tips and cues for improving how we run downhill:

• Increase cadence – Faster, shorter steps will spread the load of impact. It will also allow us to change direction quicker on the trails because there is less time between ground contact. We can’t change direction in mid-air. Shorter strides will also bring the contact point with the ground under our centre of gravity, which is better for balance and body control. It is also better for the joints. A foot strike that is out in front of our bodies with a longer stride causes more of a braking force, whereas a foot-strike under our bodies sees the foot already moving backwards and thus, pulling us forwards, rather than resisting our progress.
• Land softly – Sounds obvious but actually thinking about quickly tapping the road or trail with each foot-strike rather than pounding the foot into the surface will make a difference. Not only from a shock reduction point of view but it will also make us more manoeuvrable on a twisting trail, allowing us to change direction quickly. We are trying to skim across the ground rather than taking it in a series of jumps and landings.
• Lean into the downhill – As for running uphill, this is not a bend forward at the hips. This is a full body lean with the ankles, hips, spine and neck all in a long, straight line. It is our natural inclination to lean back on a steep downhill but practicing leaning forward into it, will force our legs and feet to speed up, increasing cadence and utilising gravity to generate speed.
• Look ahead, not down – Mostly for trails but also on the road where looking down will affect our posture. On the trails it is more important as we will also want to scan ahead for obstacles such as roots and rocks that will need to be avoided or cleared. Planning our trajectory in advance will avoid the necessity for any sudden changes of direction, which rob speed and can cause over-balancing and the inevitable face-plant.

With these technique tips in mind, can we train for downhills as we do for uphills? Of course. The simplest way to work on our descending is simply to think about the above cues while running on any downhills that we may encounter while out on our training runs. The idea is to build in these skills and techniques while staying relaxed and efficient. Remember that, while we are trying to improve our speed on the downhill, we are still wanting to use them to recover as much as possible before the climb that follows. As for everything, patience and consistency will get results.

We can also build in some specific downhill rep sessions. Running fast on a 200-300m downhill before turning and walking and jogging back to the top to do it again. As we would for hill reps but in reverse. We just don’t want to try to and tackle both goals in the same session. Initially our downhill technique will not be Olympian so, in the beginning, it is advisable to do these sessions on grass or soft surfaces without any obstacles or loose footing. Keeping the gradient gentle and slowly choosing steeper downhills as we improve. In the first few reps of a downhill session we should simply focus on the techniques, rather than how fast we are going. The forward lean with good posture and the quick, soft steps. Once we have ingrained that we can then start timing the reps and looking at what tweaks to our technique result in faster speeds. Mostly, it will just be a matter of getting better through consistently practicing the skill, and that will come with consistency and patience.