Signing up for a downhill marathon to break your PR? Chasing the elusive Boston Marathon qualification? Or just getting into trail running? Everybody loves a fast marathon and what better way to do it than with a downhill course – let gravity do some of the work, right? Well…not quite. Surprisingly, downhill courses can be more challenging for our bodies compared to running on flats or uphills. First, let's explore why that is, then we'll leave you with some training tips so you can perform your best come race day.
So what makes downhill running challenging?
Higher mechanical strain:
Running downhill might feel easy for a short time, but your muscles, especially the quads, undergo higher mechanical strain. The repetitive lengthening of your muscles helps decelerate your body's center of mass under load; this strain leads to acute and delayed muscle damage [1].
Strike pattern:
Most runners adopt a heel-strike pattern when running downhill, which alters the ground reaction forces during initial ground contact. This foot strike pattern leads to significant impact and braking forces on your joints compared to running on flats [2].
These factors cause a significant decrease in running economy and performance during a downhill race, so preparing with a robust training program is essential.
Now here are those training tips we promised:
Tip #1: Add eccentric strength exercises into your training routine
Eccentric exercises mimic the muscle lengthening action we rely on when running downhill. Performing eccentric strength training has been shown to limit the effects of exercise-induced muscle damage caused by downhill running and maximize strength production [3,4,5].
Click here to see which eccentric strength exercises you should add to your training routine
Tip #2: Exposing your body to downhill running before your race
If you want to get better at running downhill, you need to practice running downhill. Add specific downhill sessions to your training, such as hill repeats or tempo/fartlek runs with downhill portions mixed in. This will allow your body to tolerate downhill runs better and provide a protective adaptation that can reduce exercise-induced muscle damage leading to enhanced performance [6,7,8]. You don't have to be training for a downhill marathon to add this to your workout. Running downhills in training has also been shown to improve running performance and efficiency on flat courses [9].
Tip #3: Make sure to run in your racing shoes during training
Running downhill puts more stress on the forefoot and toes. Doing some training runs in your racing shoes can help identify any hot spots so you can make proper adjustments come race day.
Tip #4: Start small and allow proper recovery time in between downhill running sessions to avoid injury
When beginning to implement hill runs, start on a lower grade before increasing incrementally to an elevation similar to your upcoming race, if possible. The effects of downhill running on your body, such as increased muscle strain, can lead to delayed onset muscle soreness lasting up to 96 hours. Allow at least 48 hours after a downhill session before scheduling your next high-effort run to avoid overload.
Click here if you are just getting back into running and want to learn how to do it safely
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