Running Economy: The Hidden Factor That Separates Good Runners from Great Ones

Two runners with identical VO2 max values can produce very different performances. One runs a 3:15 marathon. The other manages 3:45. The difference is often running economy; the oxygen cost of running at a given pace.

Running economy is one of the most important yet least discussed factors in endurance running performance. Unlike VO2 max, which is partly constrained by genetics and responds relatively slowly to training, running economy can be meaningfully improved through targeted work at any stage of an athlete's development.

What Running Economy Means

Running economy describes how much oxygen your body consumes to sustain a given pace. A runner with better economy uses less oxygen, and therefore less energy, to run at the same speed as a less economical runner. At race pace, over the distance of a marathon, the accumulated advantage of superior economy is enormous.

The factors that contribute to running economy include biomechanics (how you run), neuromuscular efficiency (how effectively your nervous system recruits muscle fibres), muscle stiffness and tendon elasticity (how much energy is stored and returned through the leg spring mechanism), and metabolic efficiency (how effectively your body uses available fuel).

How Cadence Affects Economy

Cadence, the number of steps per minute, is the most commonly discussed variable in running economy. Research consistently shows that most recreational runners overstride, landing with the foot significantly in front of the centre of mass. This produces a braking force with each footstrike that the body must overcome with each stride.

A higher cadence, typically cited as 170 to 185 steps per minute for most runners, reduces stride length slightly and moves the footstrike closer to under the hips, reducing braking force and improving the efficiency of energy transfer through the gait cycle.

Increasing cadence by 5 to 10% from your natural rate has been shown to reduce the energy cost of running at a given pace. This does not mean obsessively targeting a specific cadence figure; it means being aware of your current cadence and working gradually toward a slightly higher natural rhythm through drills, strides, and mindful running.

Strength Training and Running Economy

Heavy resistance training, specifically lower body strength work using compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and single-leg exercises, improves running economy through two mechanisms. First, stronger muscles are more efficient at producing force with less metabolic cost. Second, heavy resistance training improves neuromuscular coordination, reducing the oxygen cost of the motor patterns involved in running.

Research consistently shows that adding (a minimum of) two strength sessions per week to an endurance runner's programme improves running economy without negatively affecting aerobic performance, even in well-trained athletes. The sessions do not need to be long: 30 to 40 minutes of focused lower body strength work is sufficient.

Strides and Running Economy

Strides, short, controlled accelerations of 80 to 100 metres at close to maximum speed, with full recovery between repetitions, are one of the most underused tools in amateur running training. They are typically appended to easy runs, two or three times per week, and require only five to eight minutes of additional time.

Strides develop neuromuscular efficiency by recruiting fast-twitch muscle fibres that are rarely challenged during easy aerobic running. Over time, this improves the efficiency and coordination of the running gait at all speeds, including the slower paces used in endurance training and racing.

Body Composition and Economy

Running economy is expressed per unit of body weight. All other things equal, carrying less weight requires less oxygen to run at a given pace. For athletes who carry meaningful excess body fat, reducing body composition through appropriate nutrition is one of the most direct paths to improved running economy and faster performances.

This needs to be approached carefully in the context of training load. Attempting to lose weight during a high-mileage training block risks under-fuelling, which impairs recovery, increases injury risk, and can actually worsen economy through muscle loss. Body composition improvements are most sustainable during lower-intensity training phases.

Key Takeaways

Running economy is highly trainable, and improving it does not require more running, it requires smarter running. A higher natural cadence, targeted strength work twice per week, regular strides, and appropriate body composition all contribute to meaningful improvements in economy over a training season. These are the marginal gains that separate athletes who run at the same fitness level but very different times.