In response to FRED WILT’S “TEN TIPS ON RUNNING FORM”

Fred Wilt was indeed an Olympic distance runner and became a famous writer and advocate of running in the 60-ies and 70-ies. His most known book "Run, run, run…" is an incredible collection of articles on science, history and methods of running and reflects his passion and desire to bring real knowledge to people.

The value of his work is indisputable. However, not everything that he wrote on running technique still remains on the same level. It is necessary to introduce a modern understanding to his outstanding work and give to him appropriate credits.

Below are our explanations of 10 tips on running form from the Pose Method point of view. The reader can compare these statements by himself, see the differences and make his own conclusions.

1. Running form is entirely the product of gravity requirements. No matter how fast or how long we run, we need to meet these requirements in a very specific form of interaction: assisting gravity and all other forces involved in running. Gravity doesn't "care" about our height, weight, bone structure, strength of our muscles, flexibility, posture, personality, nationality, race, gender, etc. Gravity acts. We have to react or change ourselves accordingly to gravity's action. How far we are from the required parameters, so far we are from the proper technique. Therefore, we need to develop very specific bio-motor abilities and skills to meet gravity requirements in running.
   
   
2. The heel is allowed to touch the ground, as long as the body weight is located (placed) on the ball of the foot. But touching the ground with the heel, nevertheless, doesn't mean that the body weight is relocated there.
   
   
3. The heel landing first on the ground or holding heels high off the ground (on the toes) are both incorrect, because in both cases it constitutes work performed against gravity, which consequently overloads bones, tendons, ligaments and leads to injuries.
   
   
4. The body weight placement on the ball of the foot automatically brings the alignment along the straight line and brings balance to running.
   
   
5. Natural stride length is the function of speed of running. The stride length is the length of the GCM traveling distance from one support to the other, when the body weight (GCM) is located above the support. Any body weight position out of this relationship: GCM over the support is wrong. It is means either over-striding or under-striding.
   
   
6. Each runner has his own optimal stride length depending on his ability to fall forward, which, in its turn depends on his level of skill (technique) and his bio-motor abilities.
   
   
7. To maintain a stable top speed or any other speed level, the GCM of the body should always have its own constant angle of deviation from the vertical line going through the support or the angle of the body lean forward. This is necessary to be able to compensate for the reduction of GCM speed in each stride by other forces, such as the friction, reactive, braking, muscles viscosity, etc.
   
   
8. The arms are a simple counterbalance for the legs work. They should be held in a position convenient for easy and quick balance for leg movement in order to keep the GCM forward movement along the straight line.
   
   
9. The head should be held along the vertical line going through with the shoulders, hips and the point of support on the ground (the ball of the foot) and eyes should be in the position to maintain this alignment of the body.
   
   
10. We have to understand that running consists of series of reproductions of the body's fall forward from its vertical position and have to learn how to do it smoothly through specific drills and skill development.

Dr.Romanov

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TEN TIPS ON RUNNING FORM

FRED WILT WAS A DISTANCE RUNNER on the 1948 and 1952 U.S. Olympic teams and became famous for his legendary indoor mile encounters at that time with Wisconsin's Don Gehrmann. After retiring from the FBI, Wilt coached the women's running teams at Purdue University. He edited the publication Track Technique and advised various athletes, including 1964 Olympian Buddy Edelen, who once held the world marathon record of 2:14:28. Wilt's tips on running form follow:

1. Running form is a completely individual issue. Each athlete differs from every other at least to a minute extent in height, weight, bone structure, length and size of muscles, point of muscle origin and insertion, strength, flexibility, posture and personality, in addition to numerous other features. Therefore, no two runners should ever use identical form, even though they all adhere to basic mechanical principles.
   
   
2. It is a form error of the highest magnitude to run without permitting the heel to touch and rest on the ground with each stride, without reservation, in a ball-heel grounding action. This is true at all running speeds, especially sprinting.
   
   
3. It is physically possible to land heel-first in running, but this is quite incorrect and almost never seen, since it jars the body excessively and can be done only at very slow running speeds. Landing heel-first and "toe running" (refusing to permit the heels to ground) are both incorrect.
   
   
4. Ideally, the position of the feet in running is one in which the inner borders fall approximately along a straight line. Athletes should run in a straight line, but not necessarily on such a line. When one foot is placed directly in front of the other, lateral (sideways) balance is impaired.
   
   
5. Runners in races longer than sprint distance wherein economy of energy is the paramount consideration should use a natural stride: not exaggerated, not long, not short, but of a length in keeping with maximum economy of effort for the running speed required.
   
   
6. Both understriding and overstriding are faults. Each runner has his own optimum stride length at any given speed, depending upon leg length, muscular strength and flexibility.
   
   
7. At uniform top speed with zero acceleration, if the athlete was running in a vacuum with no wind resistance, there would be no body lean at all.
   
   
8. The hands should be carried in a relaxed, cupped position at all running speeds. They should never be rigidly clenched in a fist while running, since this produces tension, which causes unnecessary fatigue.
   
   
9. The head should be aligned naturally with the trunk, and the eyes should be focused a few meters ahead while running.
   
   
10. Usually the best solution to apparent form problems is many repetitions of running short distances, such as 100 meters, at a fast, though not exhausting pace.

"Ten Tips on Running Form" appeared in Run Fast by Hal Higdon, Copyright © 1992 by Hal Higdon Communications, all rights reserved.