Reading time: 7 min
Many articles on running cues or techniques discuss the Forward Lean. The fundamental idea is that by leaning the body forward, you improve your running technique.
The caveat in most articles is that the forward lean must come from the ankles and not from the waist. What does it mean to “forward lean from the ankles?” It is perhaps easiest to understand by experience.
Try the following:
- Stand Tall with your weight on your heals.
- If you poke out your chin, back up your head a bit.
- If you stick out your butt, move it forward.
More or less, you want your ears, shoulders and hips vertically aligned.
- Without bending at the waist or arching your back, lean your whole body forward until you feel pressure on your big toes and your heels coming off the ground a touch.
Voila! That is what is meant by the forward lean coming from the ankles. It is a position that makes you feel primed for movement. If you were to lift one foot, you would automatically step forward in a running-like way.
However, is this indeed the ideal position for running? The answer is it depends.
As an example, we are going to watch a classic video and compare the running technique of two legends of the marathon: Toshihiko Seko of Japan and Juma Ikangaa of Tanzania. But first, a bit about two runners in the video
Toshihiko Seko
Toshihiko Seko once remarked, “the marathon is my only girlfriend. I give her everything I have.” And he wasn’t kidding. Seko lived the life of an ascetic. His coach, Mr. Nakamura, believed that Japanese athletes are not as big and strong as foreign athletes so they must train hard and be capable of “unlimited effort.” Seko ran long runs of 50 km, even 50 miles. And during training camps would log 200 miles per week. Here is a quote about Mr. Nakamura from the book Running with Legends by Michael Sandrock
When [Mr. Nakamura] started coaching, he used to beat his runners, who nicknamed him Satan, because of his brutal, Spartan-style practices. “I gave up hitting runners when I discovered that words were more effective,” Nakamura said […] “The relationship between American coaches and their athletes is generally confined to practice and all they talk about is strategy […] It is more important for the runer to be with the coach day in and day out so he can learn to live and think”
Running with Legends by Michael Sandrock
After giving up beating his runners in his early coaching years, Mr. Nakamura made an about-face. He chose his words carefully. He taught Seko to live and run with Zen a form of Buddhism. To clear the mind of everything and let the body functionally undisturbed by thought. As part of his coaching duties, Mr. Nakamura would read doctrines written by wise men to Seko and the other runners that lived in Mr. Nakamura‘s dojo.
Seko was the epitome of Mr. Nakamura‘s dedication to the Zen way of life. Through Seko, others could find solace, encouragement, pride and honour. Competition was a mere extension of the dojo athlete’s life, not the ultimate reason for his training.
Running with Legends by Michael Sandrock
Seko won the Fukuoka Marathon (1978, 1979, 1980, 1983), Boston Marathon (1981, 1987), London Marathon (1986) and Chicago Marathon (1986). And on Seko set world records at 25,000 m (1:13:55.8) and 30,000 m (1:29:18.8), records that stood for 30 years.
Juma Ikangaa
Much like Seko, Ikangaa had a more philosophical approach to running. He said: “I don’t train to beat another runner. We are out there together, competing with the marathon, and I train to run the marathon as fast as I can.” He did not run for the money or the awards. He ran in honour of his country, feeling a national duty to do so.
Ikangaa was a front runner, always pushing the pace, pushing the limits of the marathon itself at that time. He started running as a youngster in his native Tanzania running 10miles to and from school every day and developed a love for the sport.
During his development years, Ikangaa was a member of the Tanzanian national army. The army supported his running after he won the 5000-meter and 10000-meter army games. This support allowed Ikangaa to reach a world-class level. And he made his breakthrough at the 1982 Commonwealth games finishing second to Rob De Castella – the best in the world at the time.
From there Ikangaa was a significant player in all the marathons he ran throughout the 80s. Despite the incredible success he achieved, he always remained humble with a keen sense of humour and an engaging character. Coach Joe Vigil even called Ikangaa “the most complete human being I’ve ever met.”
Ikangaa won the Melbourne Marathon (1983, 1984), Tokyo Marathon (1984, 1986), Fukuoka Marathon (1986), Beijing Marathon (1987), New York City Marathon (1989) and placed second three years in a row at the Boston Marathon (1988, 1989, 1990).
If you want to learn more about these two runners and other top runners of the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s, check out the fantastic book Running with Legends by Michael Sandrock
To the Video!
Alright, you’re up to speed on the runners, let’s get to the video. We are going to watch the final few hundred meters of the 1983 Fukuoka Marathon. Ikangaa is in the lead with Seko right behind.
Did you see the difference between their techniques? Very distinct.
Ikangaa is leaning forward from the waist and the ankles. Seko is running entirely upright, and his forward lean is only from the ankles.
Since Seko wins the race that must mean he has better technique than Ikangaa right? And this supports the idea of leaning from the ankle, right? Not so fast. Let’s examine it more closely.
Seko is taller than Ikangaa: 5′ 6.5″ vs 5′ 3″. BUT, if you look at the height of their shorts when they are on the backstretch of the track, you can see that their legs are pretty much the same length with maybe Ikangaa‘s legs being a bit longer.
So perhaps the difference in technique has less to do with Seko having superior biomechanics and more to do with the runner’s different body dimensions?
Factors that affect Forward Lean
Without-a-doubt runners with longer legs relative to their height – like many African runners – will lean forward more at the waist than runners with shorter legs relative to the height – like many Asian runners. American, Europeans and Oceania runners likely fall somewhere in between.
Why does a runner with longer legs lean forward from the waist? Balance. The longer the legs, the further the legs will travel behind the runner. The forward lean from the waist moves the upper body forward just enough to maintain equilibrium.
Other factors affect forward lean as well. Here are three of the more common reasons:
- Quads or hip flexors are “tight” which pull your torso down
- Glutes or hamstrings are “weak” which let the hips fall behind you
- Ankles have “limited” dorsiflexion (the ankle movement where the toes are brought closer to the shin) so leaning from the ankle is not doable.
In all the above cases, a runner’s structure or muscles naturally gravitate them toward a forward lean from the waist position. Is the answer for the runner to fight this urge? I’d say no.
When you run, you don’t want anything to be forced. During running drills, you may practice different Running Cues or Techniques for brief periods to develop skill and awareness. But forcing your body into a particular position for a longer duration run is asking for trouble. It may “correct” one “issue”, but it will cause problems somewhere else.
What To Do?
Trial and error. Experiment with how much of your lean comes from the ankles versus how much comes from the waist. The best time to do this is during Fast but Not Hard drills.
- Do a few reps in your “normal” position and focus on the feeling.
- Try one rep with an upright torso like Seko leaning from the ankles.
- Then the next rep with more lean from the waist like Ikangaa.
Take a mental note of the different feelings. Does one condition make running feel “lighter,” “smoother,” “more natural,” or “less restricted?” If so, use that for now.
If you have long legs relative to your height and you find it more comfortable to lean forward a bit from the waist, by all means always adopt that position. But also focus on Leading with the Hips. Getting the hips forward and leaning forward from the waist are NOT mutually exclusive. You can do a bit of booth. Keeping the hips forward will ensure the muscles surrounding the hips are well placed to generate forward propulsion.
If you don’t think you have long legs, but you prefer leaning forward, you’ll want to examine the other three scenarios more closely: tight quads or hip flexors, weak glutes or hamstring, and limited ankle mobility. The good news is these are widespread issues. Athletic trainers or therapists see this all the time and can help you. Meet with one for several sessions.
- As you loosen the quads and hip flexors or strengthen the glutes and hamstrings, your running posture will slowly correct itself and become more upright.
- If your issue is ankle dorsiflexion, buy a pair of shoes with a steeper “ramp” or “drop” – the height differential between the heel and forefoot. For example, if you run with a 4mm drop and switch to a 10mm or 12mm drop, the extra 6-8mm will allow your ankles to lean forward more, putting you in a better position. If you lean toward a more minimalist shoe, don’t worry, a bigger drop does not necessarily mean more cushion. Many low profile shoes with limited padding have drops of 10mm or more.