How To Run Downhill | Downhill Running Technique Explained

In triathlon training and racing, you’ll almost certainly be faced with an incline or decline at some point on the run. Running downhill at speed is a skill and if you can carry confidence into your racing, it’s a great way to make up some time or even put in an attack on your competitors.
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Including hill reps into your running programme is common. The focus is usually on the uphill efforts, but it’s also worth spending a bit of time concentrating on improving your downhill running. Be mindful of this skill, and practise running at different speeds on different descents within a variety of sessions to master it.
The key things to think about, and then practise, when running downhill include:
- Your posture
- Your foot placement
- Your cadence and contact time with the ground
- Using your arms for balance
- Where to look ahead
When developing your skills running downhill, it is important to start slowly and build up as you become more confident in your ability.
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Watch more on GTN...
📹 How To Run Uphill - gtn.io/RunUphill
📹 Run Workout: What Is "Kenyan Hills" Training? - gtn.io/4y
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[@hydraulichydra8363]

When you're going fast enough each step feels like a 5 foot drop.

[@giannithiago1267]

i guess it's kinda randomly asking but does anyone know a good website to watch newly released movies online ?

[@jeromemoshe8653]

@Gianni Thiago lately I have been using flixzone. You can find it on google :)

[@augustinelandon5938]

@Jerome Moshe definitely, I have been watching on FlixZone for months myself :)

[@colemanbryce9809]

@Jerome Moshe Thank you, signed up and it seems like a nice service :D Appreciate it!

[@huxleyaydin6562]

@Gianni Thiago no problem :)

[@koawhitehill]

i’m here trying to figure out how moana ran down a hill while supporting belting vocals

[@MattDion]

Can you do a video on hill swimming? That’s the part I struggle with the most. All the local pools around me are pretty flat.

[@robbybubble240]

Matt Dion try to swim with a backpack it feels like swimming uphill

[@T1Oracle]

@@beijingbrandon6220 Ankle weights work best. Steeper incline.

[@zacharymaneja1207]

I just learned hill swimming today lol

[@sebdodds7381]

Just swim upstream in a river

[@MattDion]

I despise running downhill. I would describe my downhill running experiences as beginning with existential dread, progressing as a barely controlled fall, and concluding with painful sobs and contemplations of ordering a tunnel boring machine to prep the course for next time.

[@marka.denham6858]

Well made vid.great advice.been doing this 15 years and totally agree.big thanks.

[@peterreder8045]

At my age it's all downhill...

[@TheMinderEngineer]

Keep hustling, big things incoming! 🚀

[@lukewilliams4782]

Very helpful video, thank you for sharing

[@mikeLgriebel]

Run with heel strikes, thank you for that tip, and the one about freer arm swings.

[@IanLoughead]

I focus a lot on downhill running and I think it is one of the best thing one can do (unless you race only on a flat track).

[@btugrul]

Pretty cool and instructive (unlike awful amount of useless videos around), thanks a lot, thumbs up!

[@Loppy2345]

If you have good form, running downhill is a blast! If you have poor form, you will find yourself braking each step.

[@RandyArellano]

Cadence and foot placement vid will be a helpful vid for me, so I'm interested in the tips you guys will provide. Downhill running on smoother terrain is not a problem, but I've had my most serious ankle injuries on trail runs (and I would prefer to run on trails).

[@KristianAltuve]

Agreed I was hoping to see more of these details in this video.

[@joeyc8546]

I like downhills and have made loads of time and places before. Only thing i found was jarring knees on them at speed causes issues. Had to run a 50 miler with a dodgy knee after overloading it on a bump on a previous race. The week afterward my pt worked out how to sort it with heavy single leg squats. Clicked straight back in.

[@andreisevela1496]

Thank you for video. Where it was recorded?

[@elenichouvarda8229]

you are wonderful!

[@jonathanzappala]

If your great a downhill running, it’s very effective in an XC race. Lag behind on the uphill and catch back on downhill. But only when the downhill isn’t too far away.

[@Malaki727]

I'm so horrible running down hill. I'm a beast running uphill. So I'm here. Down hill soo fucking hard for some reason

[@mikkey246]

If I lean back to much do I hurt my knees?

[@jeroenvanderzee9952]

I would like to train my downhill, but yeah I live in the Netherlands so that's not going to happen. On the positive side there are almost no hills in the races over here.

[@nedelchostoyanov6670]

Then those are not races...

[@FCZassendorp]

Drie jaar later verwacht ik dat je al wel wat opties hebt gevonden in NL, anders weet ik nog wel wat opties

[@glennmosher1338]

I think you need to talk about footstrike when running downhill. Should you land on your heel, midsole, or foot?

[@AllergicToAshAndDust]

Did you watch the video? She talked about that.

[@dwaynemelton7441]

I feel natural going downhill I love it, here in eastern ct we have quite a bit of short punchy steep gradients so depending on the road ya could see 20 % gradients going down or up

what does "engage your core" mean when running? 2:45

[@user-gp1zs8vy5r]

Can you use this technique when running from the cops ?

[@andreslinares6429]

I just saw a video from Salomon that says you should avoid 100% heel strike in downhill, because you could twist the ankle. Now I'm confused

[@danan9061]

if its a technical trail forefoot landing gives more flexibility than a heel strike but on a flat path you can maybe control descent better with heel strike. I can kinda see the benefit even though im a bit anti heel strike

[@kathleeeenwei]

why such a big stride

[@KuSellarOfficial]

My knees feels weird running downhill lol

[@TheBelldiver]

I jump and control the speed by changing angles

[@goldielocks2621]

I would strap the knees no matter how good the muscles are.

[@skulldragon3799]

If your perpendicular to the grown then your leaning forward

[@samg1879]

im here after watching gloucester cheese rolling competition videos

[@gtn]

We're not even going to pretend the technique is similar! 😂

[@shalmisandlar8551]

חמודה בסך הכל

[@keriezy]

After watchng this I am sure some people are naturally more inclined to body control than others. In my +30 years I've never thought about coming down the hill, I just do.

[@thezamus5335]

Im here, because I started to pee blood, so I need more tecnique

[@eoinr5880]

Any chance you took ibuprofen during (or before) the race? It can seriously damage your kidneys and I’ve had mates who started to pee blood as a result

[@matthewclarke5008]

Running downhill with slippery surface, so scary.

[@andreadws7151]

Nice video! But I wouldn't run like her in a downhill like that.... you could fall from there!

[@KauaiboyRayce]

Always Naruto run downhill

[@jerryjoseph9135]

Every video of you running downhill in here is slow motion! that's very disappointing

[@ddone1583]

Lots of fake info

[@theboyz7543]

Down hills easy