Running economy is one of the most powerful, and often misunderstood, determinants of endurance performance. It describes the amount of oxygen your body requires to sustain a given running speed. It helps explain why some runners are consistently faster and fatigue later than others, even when traditional fitness markers appear similar. Two athletes may share the same VO₂ max, yet the runner who moves more efficiently will cover more distance at the same physiological cost. Improving running economy, therefore, is not just about fitness, but also about how effectively your body converts energy into forward motion.

What running economy actually is

Running economy reflects how efficiently your body uses oxygen to maintain a steady, submaximal running speed. In practical terms, it represents the oxygen cost of running at a given pace. Multiple physiological and mechanical systems work together to influence it, including metabolic, cardiovascular, pulmonary, biomechanical and neuromuscular processes.

Part of a runner’s economy is shaped by genetics. Limb length, tendon structure and muscle fibre distribution all influence how economical a given athlete can become. However, a substantial proportion is trainable. Improvements in strength and power, mitochondrial density, breathing efficiency, step frequency and reductions in unnecessary vertical oscillation can all meaningfully lower the energy cost of running.

When the economy improves, performance changes in very practical ways. The same pace requires less energy, fatigue accumulates more slowly over distance, and more speed becomes available at a given effort level. This is why running economy is often a stronger predictor of race performance than VO₂ max alone.

Several broad factors contribute to running economy. Training history plays a major role, including overall running volume, exposure to high-quality sessions, fatigue management and the balance of interval and speed work. Biomechanical efficiency, including gait patterns, joint kinematics and usable range of motion, determines how effectively the body applies force to the ground. Neuromuscular efficiency influences how quickly and precisely the nervous system can generate force and stiffness through coordinated muscle action. Cardiorespiratory factors, including  VO₂ max, heart rate response and ventilation, determine oxygen delivery and utilisation. Metabolic efficiency depends on factors such as core temperature regulation, muscle fibre type and fuel utilisation. (Barnes & Kilding, 2015.)

Evidence-based ways to improve running economy

Plyometric training is one of the most consistently supported methods for enhancing running economy. By targeting the stretch-shortening cycle, plyometrics improve the ability of muscles and tendons to store and release elastic energy rapidly, reducing the metabolic cost of force production during each step. Simple, low-amplitude activities such as hopping in place, bounding, pogos and drop jumps are particularly effective for runners. More recently, research suggests that combining plyometric work with heavy strength training can improve running economy much greater degree (Llanos-Lagos et al., 2024).

Resisted running offers a highly specific way to improve the force characteristics that underpin efficient running. Light sledge pulls and hill sprints increase horizontal force production without fundamentally changing natural stride patterns. Hill sprints also promote stronger knee drive, core stability, arm action, and leg stiffness, all of which transfer positively to flat ground running by lowering the relative effort required at race pace.

Stiffness and elastic drills sit between traditional technique work and pure strength training. These exercises are designed to improve the “spring” of the lower limb system without the need to consciously manipulate posture or foot strike. Ankle hops, straight-leg bounds, fast A-march variations, and short blocks of pogos inserted into training can all enhance neuromuscular timing and tendon behaviour. The emphasis should be on quiet, rapid contacts with the ground, minimising contact time and prioritising rebound rather than vertical height.

Heavy strength training remains one of the most underutilised tools for distance runners aiming to improve economy. Increases in maximal force capacity allow runners to generate the same absolute forces with a lower relative effort during each stride, directly reducing oxygen cost at submaximal speeds. Compound lower-body lifts such as squats, deadlifts, split squats and step-ups are particularly effective. While upper-body strength also contributes to postural control and arm drive during fatigue. Programmes that include two to three heavy strength sessions per week have been shown to produce meaningful improvements in running economy, in some cases up to 8% (Balsalobre-Fernández et al., 2016; Blagrove et al., 2018).

Key takeaways

You don’t need to look like a different runner to become a more economical runner. Meaningful improvements come from changing how forcefully and efficiently you interact with the ground, rather than obsessing over visible technique. Prioritise force production, tendon stiffness, elastic energy return and shorter ground contact times. When these qualities improve, running becomes faster and less costly without conscious adjustment to your stride.

The most effective approach is balanced training: maintain appropriate running volume while layering in hill work, speed training, plyometrics and heavy strength training. Over time, this combination develops the physical qualities that underpin durable, efficient running.

If you need a training program that supports your running base development or helps you prepare for a race, check out the store.

Research

• Llanos-Lagos, C., Ramirez-Campillo, R., Moran, J., & Sáez de Villarreal, E. (2024). Effect of strength training programs in middle-and long-distance runners’ economy at different running speeds: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 54(4), 895-932.
• Balsalobre-Fernández, C., Santos-Concejero, J., & Grivas, G. V. (2016). Effects of strength training on running economy in highly trained runners: a systematic review with meta-analysis of controlled trials. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 30(8), 2361-2368.
• Blagrove, R. C., Howatson, G., & Hayes, P. R. (2018). Effects of strength training on the physiological determinants of middle-and long-distance running performance: a systematic review. Sports medicine, 48(5), 1117-1149.
• Barnes, K. R., & Kilding, A. E. (2015). Running economy: measurement, norms, and determining factors. Sports medicine-open, 1(1), 8