Overstriding When Running: How to Identify and Fix It

Overstriding is the single most common running form mistake--and most runners don't even know they're doing it. If you've dealt with nagging shin splints, knee pain that won't quit, or the frustrating feeling that you're working hard but not getting faster, overstriding is likely part of the problem.

The tricky part? Overstriding feels normal. It feels like you're reaching forward and covering more ground. But biomechanically, you're slamming on the brakes with every single step. You're absorbing forces your body wasn't designed to handle. And you're burning energy fighting against yourself instead of moving forward.

This guide breaks down exactly what overstriding is, how to tell if you're doing it, and the most effective ways to fix it--starting with the one change that works faster than anything else.

What Is Overstriding?

Overstriding occurs when your foot lands ahead of your center of mass at initial contact. Instead of your foot touching down roughly beneath your hips, it reaches out in front of your body, usually with the heel striking the ground first and the knee nearly or fully extended.

Here's what it looks like in practice: picture a runner whose front leg is almost straight at the moment their foot hits the ground. Their heel makes contact well ahead of their hips, and you can see a clear angle between their upper body and the point of foot contact. That gap between where the foot lands and where the body's weight sits is the overstride.

To understand why this matters, think about the physics. When your foot lands in front of your body, it creates a ground reaction force that points backward--directly opposing your forward motion. This is called a braking force. With each step, you are literally decelerating your own body and then having to re-accelerate. It's like tapping the brakes on your car every few seconds while trying to maintain speed.

In a proper foot strike, the foot lands much closer to directly beneath the hips. The ground reaction force is directed more vertically, supporting your body weight without fighting your forward momentum. The knee is slightly flexed at contact, which allows the muscles, tendons, and joints to absorb impact as they were designed to.

The distinction isn't really about heel striking versus midfoot striking--it's about where contact happens relative to your center of mass. A runner can heel strike gently under their body and be fine. But a runner who slams their heel down a foot ahead of their hips is overstriding, regardless of what part of the foot touches first.

Why Overstriding Is Bad for Runners

Overstriding isn't just an aesthetic issue. It has measurable consequences for your performance, your efficiency, and your injury risk.

Increased Impact Forces

Research published in the *Journal of Biomechanics* has shown that runners who overstride experience significantly higher vertical impact loading rates compared to those who land under their center of mass. Some studies estimate this increase at up to 30% more impact force per step.

Over the course of a single mile at 170 steps per minute, that's roughly 850 steps per foot--each one delivering substantially more force through your shins, knees, and hips than necessary. Over weeks and months of training, those extra forces compound into tissue damage and overuse injuries.

Braking Effect

Every overstride creates a horizontal braking force. You're spending energy to slow yourself down and then spending more energy to speed back up. This is one of the most wasteful patterns in running biomechanics.

Research from the *Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise* journal has demonstrated that reducing overstride distance leads to measurable improvements in running economy. In other words, fixing your overstride lets you run the same pace with less effort--or run faster at the same effort.

Higher Injury Risk

Overstriding is linked to a range of the most common running injuries:

• Shin splints (medial tibial stress syndrome): The extended leg and heavy heel strike transmit excessive shock through the tibia.
• Runner's knee (patellofemoral pain syndrome): The straightened knee at contact increases load on the kneecap and surrounding structures.
• Stress fractures: Repeated high-impact loading, especially in the tibia and metatarsals, accumulates microdamage faster than the body can repair it.
• IT band syndrome: The combination of overstriding and the resulting compensation patterns places extra strain on the iliotibial band.

If you're dealing with any of these issues, your stride mechanics should be one of the first things you evaluate. For a deeper look at how to prevent running injuries, check out our full prevention guide.

Wasted Energy and Poor Running Economy

Running economy is the measure of how much oxygen you consume at a given pace. Runners with better economy go faster using less fuel. Overstriding directly undermines running economy by introducing unnecessary braking forces, increasing vertical oscillation (bouncing), and requiring extra muscular effort to re-accelerate after each step.

Studies consistently show that runners who optimize their foot strike position under their center of mass improve their economy by 2-5%--enough to make a noticeable difference in race performance.

Overstriding vs. Proper Foot Strike

How to Tell If You're Overstriding

Most runners who overstride have no idea they're doing it. Here are five self-assessment methods you can use to find out.

1. The Sound Test

Go for a run on pavement and listen to your footfalls. Are your feet making a loud slapping or thudding sound with each step? Heavy, percussive foot strikes are a hallmark of overstriding. Your feet are hitting the ground with excessive force because they're landing ahead of your body.

In contrast, a runner with good foot placement sounds relatively quiet--a light tapping rather than a heavy thud. If other runners can hear you coming from 20 meters away, you're likely overstriding.

2. Side-View Video Analysis

This is the most reliable self-assessment method. Have a friend film you from the side while you run at your normal easy pace, or set your phone on the ground propped against a water bottle.

Watch the footage in slow motion and freeze it at the moment your front foot first touches the ground. Draw an imaginary vertical line from your hip straight down. If your foot is landing more than a few inches ahead of that line, you're overstriding. Pay attention to your knee angle too--if it's nearly straight at contact, that's another indicator.

3. Cadence Check

Count your steps for 30 seconds and multiply by two, or use a running watch or app that measures cadence. If your cadence is consistently below 160 steps per minute at easy pace, there's a strong chance you're overstriding.

Low cadence means longer time between steps, which usually means a longer stride. And a longer stride almost always means the foot is landing too far forward. Our complete running cadence guide goes deeper into what your cadence should be based on your height, pace, and experience level.

4. Shin Pain After Runs

If you regularly experience shin pain--particularly along the inner edge of the shinbone--after running, overstriding is one of the most common culprits. The extended leg and heavy heel contact create repetitive stress on the tibial bone and surrounding soft tissue.

This isn't the only cause of shin splints, but if you're getting them repeatedly despite reasonable training loads and decent shoes, your stride mechanics deserve a close look.

5. The "Reaching" Sensation

This one requires body awareness, but it's useful. During your next run, pay attention to what your legs are doing. Does it feel like you're reaching out with each step, extending your front leg to "grab" more ground? Do you feel a slight jarring at contact?

Compare that to the feeling of running with quick, compact steps directly beneath you. If the reaching pattern feels like your default, overstriding is likely happening.

5 Ways to Fix Overstriding

Fixing overstriding doesn't require a complete rebuild of your running form. In most cases, one or two targeted changes are enough to make a significant difference. Here are the five most effective approaches, ranked by impact.

1. Increase Your Cadence

This is the single most effective fix for overstriding, and it's backed by a substantial body of research. When you increase your step rate, your stride physically shortens. There isn't enough time between steps to extend your leg way out in front of your body. Your foot naturally lands closer to your center of mass.

The key is to increase gradually. A 5-10% increase from your current cadence is the sweet spot. If you're currently at 160 SPM, aim for 168-176 SPM. Jumping straight to 180 from 155 is too aggressive and will feel forced.

The best tool for this is a metronome. Set it to your target cadence and match your steps to the beat. Over a few weeks of practice, the new cadence becomes automatic. We'll go deeper on this approach in the cadence section below. For a full breakdown of how to find and train your ideal cadence, see our running cadence guide.

2. Focus on Landing Under Your Hips

Instead of thinking about where your foot should land (which can create overcorrection), focus on what's happening at your hips. Think about "pulling the ground beneath you" rather than "stepping forward." Some coaches use the cue "run over the ground, not into it."

Another useful mental image: imagine you're running on a surface that's moving backward beneath you, like a treadmill. You don't reach forward on a treadmill--you lift your foot and put it back down underneath you. Try to replicate that feeling on the road.

This cue works especially well combined with a slight forward lean, which brings your center of mass forward and makes it easier for your foot to land in the right position. Our guide to proper running form covers all of these postural elements in detail.

3. Lean Slightly Forward from the Ankles

A subtle forward lean--originating from the ankles, not the waist--shifts your center of mass ahead and lets gravity assist your forward movement. When your body is leaning slightly forward, your foot has to land further beneath you to provide support. Overstriding becomes physically harder to do.

The lean should be barely perceptible. Think one to two degrees. You should feel like you're "falling forward" just enough that your legs have to keep up. If you're bending at the waist, you've gone too far--that creates a different set of problems including lower back strain and restricted hip extension.

A good drill for finding this lean: stand tall, then let yourself fall forward from the ankles until you have to take a step. That step--quick, compact, directly beneath you--is roughly the kind of foot placement you want while running.

4. Shorten Your Stride Intentionally

This sounds counterintuitive if you're trying to run faster, but shortening your stride is one of the most reliable ways to improve your speed in the long run. A shorter stride reduces braking forces, keeps your feet under your body, and allows you to maintain higher turnover.

Start by exaggerating it. During easy runs, deliberately take shorter steps than feel natural. It will feel choppy and slow at first. But pay attention to your effort level--you'll likely notice that you're working less hard at the same pace, or running slightly faster at the same effort.

Over time, as the shorter stride becomes your default, you'll gain speed by improving efficiency rather than by reaching farther with each step. For more on the relationship between stride length and performance, see our running stride length guide.

5. Strengthen Your Glutes and Core

Weak glutes and core muscles contribute to overstriding in a less obvious way. When your posterior chain can't generate enough force to drive your leg behind you (hip extension), your body compensates by reaching forward with the opposite leg. Overstriding becomes a compensation pattern for weakness elsewhere.

Strong glutes provide the power for hip extension--pushing off behind your body rather than pulling from in front. A stable core keeps your pelvis level and your trunk upright, supporting the slight forward lean that prevents overstriding.

Key exercises include glute bridges, single-leg deadlifts, clamshells, Bulgarian split squats, planks, and dead bugs. Aim for two strength sessions per week, focusing on single-leg work that mimics the demands of running. It takes 4-6 weeks of consistent strength work to see changes in your running form.

The Cadence Fix: Why a Metronome Works

Of all the strategies for correcting overstriding, increasing cadence through metronome training has the strongest evidence behind it and the fastest results. Here's why.

A 2011 study by Heiderscheit and colleagues published in *Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise* found that when runners increased their cadence by just 5-10%, they experienced significant reductions in energy absorption at the hip and knee, decreased braking impulse, and reduced peak hip adduction--all markers associated with overstriding and injury risk. Impact forces dropped by up to 20%.

The beauty of the cadence approach is its simplicity. You don't have to think about foot placement, knee angle, lean, or any other biomechanical variable. You just match your steps to a beat. The faster turnover automatically shortens your stride and brings your foot contact closer to your center of mass. It's a single input that fixes multiple outputs.

A running metronome provides a consistent auditory cue that keeps you at your target cadence without having to count steps. Unlike visual cues or verbal reminders, an auditory beat integrates seamlessly into your run. You hear it, you match it, and over time the pattern becomes automatic.

The recommended approach is a progressive increase over 4-6 weeks:

• Week 1-2: Increase cadence by 5% from your baseline. If your natural cadence is 160 SPM, set the metronome to 168.
• Week 3-4: Increase by another 3-5% if the first adjustment feels comfortable. Target 172-176 SPM.
• Week 5-6: Fine-tune to your target cadence. For most runners, this falls between 170 and 185 SPM depending on height and pace.

Use the metronome for the first 10-15 minutes of each run, then turn it off and try to maintain the rhythm by feel. Check in again at the end of the run to see if you've held the cadence or drifted back to your old pattern. Within a few weeks, most runners internalize the new cadence and no longer need the external cue for every run.

For reviews of metronome tools and how they compare, see our roundup of the best running metronome apps.

Overstriding Drills and Exercises

Targeted drills reinforce the neuromuscular patterns that prevent overstriding. Incorporate 2-3 of these into your warm-up routine, 2-3 times per week.

1. Quick Feet Drill

How to do it: Stand in place and run with the fastest, shortest steps you can manage. Your feet should barely leave the ground--think of tapping the surface as quickly as possible. Keep your posture tall and your core engaged.

Sets/reps: 3 sets of 15 seconds, with 30 seconds rest between sets.

What it trains: Rapid foot turnover and the neuromuscular pattern of quick, compact steps. This drill teaches your nervous system that fast turnover is the priority, not stride length.

2. Wall Drive Drill

How to do it: Stand facing a wall with your hands pressed against it at chest height. Lean into the wall at roughly a 45-degree angle. Drive one knee up to hip height, then switch legs rapidly, alternating in a running motion. Focus on driving the knee up and placing the foot directly below your hip on the way down.

Sets/reps: 3 sets of 20 alternating drives (10 per leg), with 30 seconds rest.

What it trains: Proper knee drive and foot placement under the hips. The wall angle simulates the forward lean of running and prevents you from reaching forward with the landing foot.

3. A-Skips

How to do it: Skip forward with an exaggerated knee drive, bringing each knee to waist height. The landing foot should strike directly beneath your body with a quick, pawing motion. Keep your arms swinging in opposition. Move forward at a moderate pace--this isn't a speed drill.

Sets/reps: 3 sets of 30 meters, walking back to the start between sets.

What it trains: Coordinated knee lift and foot placement. A-skips build the hip flexor strength and coordination needed for a compact stride, and the skipping rhythm naturally reinforces higher cadence.

4. Barefoot Strides on Grass

How to do it: Find a flat, clean stretch of grass (check for debris first). Remove your shoes and run 4-6 strides of 60-80 meters at roughly 80% effort. Without the cushioning of shoes, your body will instinctively adjust to a shorter, softer stride with the foot landing under the body. Pay attention to how this feels compared to your normal shod running.

Sets/reps: 4-6 strides of 60-80 meters with a walk-back recovery.

What it trains: Natural foot placement and proprioceptive feedback. Running barefoot on a forgiving surface strips away the artificial cushioning that lets you get away with overstriding and gives your body direct feedback about impact forces.

5. Cadence Intervals with Metronome

How to do it: During an easy run, set a metronome to 5% above your current natural cadence. Run at this cadence for 2-3 minutes, then turn off the metronome and run by feel for 2-3 minutes. Repeat for 20-30 minutes. After each "off" interval, check whether your cadence held or drifted back.

Sets/reps: 5-8 intervals of 2-3 minutes at target cadence during a 30-40 minute easy run.

What it trains: Cadence awareness and the ability to hold a higher step rate without conscious effort. The on-off structure builds the motor pattern while also testing whether it's becoming automatic.

6. Single-Leg Balance Work

How to do it: Stand on one leg with a slight bend in the knee. Hold for 30-45 seconds, then switch. To progress, close your eyes, stand on an unstable surface (pillow or balance pad), or add small movements like reaching forward with the opposite hand.

Sets/reps: 3 sets of 30-45 seconds per leg.

What it trains: Ankle stability, proprioception, and the single-leg control that running demands. Better balance on one leg translates to more controlled, stable foot placement during the running stride--making it easier to land under your body rather than reaching out for stability.

Can You Overstride at Any Pace?

This is a question that comes up frequently, and the answer requires some nuance.

Yes, overstriding can happen at any pace, but it's most common at slower speeds. At easy pace, runners naturally have a lower cadence and a longer ground contact time. This creates more opportunity for the foot to land ahead of the body. That's why overstriding is predominantly a problem for recreational runners doing the majority of their training at easy to moderate pace.

At faster speeds--tempo pace, interval pace, sprinting--stride length increases significantly. But in well-trained runners, this increase comes from greater hip extension (pushing off further behind the body) and more powerful toe-off, not from reaching further forward. A sprinter's foot still lands close to their center of mass; they just cover more ground behind their body with each push-off.

The distinction matters. When people ask about how to increase stride length without overstriding, the answer is always the same: stride length should increase behind you, not in front of you. Power comes from the push-off, not the reach.

So while a sprinter might have a stride length of 2.5 meters and a jogger might have 1.2 meters, both can have their foot landing in the same position relative to their center of mass. Overstriding isn't about absolute stride length. It's about where your foot contacts the ground relative to your body.

If you're doing speed work and notice your cadence dropping significantly while your stride gets longer, check your form. Fast running with low cadence is often a sign of overstriding even at higher speeds.

Fix Your Stride with Runo

Runo is a running metronome app designed to help you dial in your cadence and eliminate overstriding. Set your target step rate, match the beat, and let the higher turnover naturally pull your foot strike into the right position. No biomechanics degree required--just run to the rhythm.

Whether you're recovering from a stride-related injury or looking to improve your running economy, training with a consistent cadence cue is the simplest, most evidence-backed way to clean up your stride. Download Runo and start your first metronome run today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is overstriding the same as heel striking?

No. Heel striking describes which part of your foot contacts the ground first. Overstriding describes where your foot contacts the ground relative to your center of mass. You can heel strike without overstriding (if your heel lands under your hips with a flexed knee), and you can overstride with a midfoot or even forefoot strike (if your foot lands too far ahead). The position matters more than the part of the foot.

How quickly can I fix overstriding?

Most runners notice a significant improvement within 3-6 weeks of targeted cadence training. The neuromuscular pattern of higher turnover is relatively quick to develop. However, fully internalizing the change so it's automatic in all conditions--fatigue, hills, race pace--can take 2-3 months of consistent practice.

Will fixing overstriding make me slower at first?

It might feel slower initially because you're taking shorter steps and the pattern is unfamiliar. But in most cases, your actual pace stays the same or improves because you're eliminating braking forces. Once the new cadence becomes comfortable and your body adapts, most runners find they're faster and less fatigued at the same effort level.

What cadence should I target to stop overstriding?

There is no universal number. A good starting point is to measure your current natural cadence and increase it by 5-10%. For most adult runners, a cadence between 170 and 185 SPM at easy pace is associated with minimal overstriding. Taller runners may be comfortable at the lower end; shorter runners naturally tend toward the higher end. See our cadence guide for height-specific recommendations.

Can running shoes cause overstriding?

Heavily cushioned shoes with a high heel-to-toe drop (10-12mm) can make it easier to overstride because the thick heel cushioning masks the impact that would otherwise provide feedback. This doesn't mean cushioned shoes are bad, but they can allow poor mechanics to persist without discomfort. Some runners find that transitioning to lower-drop shoes (4-8mm) encourages a more natural foot placement.

Does overstriding cause plantar fasciitis?

Overstriding can contribute to plantar fasciitis indirectly. The heavy heel strike and extended leg associated with overstriding increase the load on the foot and ankle complex with each step. Over time, this excess loading can irritate the plantar fascia, especially if combined with tight calves, weak foot muscles, or rapid increases in training volume.

Is overstriding worse on downhills?

Yes. Downhill running naturally encourages overstriding because runners instinctively extend their front leg to control speed and prevent falling forward. This amplifies braking forces and impact loading. To reduce overstriding on downhills, focus on increasing cadence, keeping a slight forward lean with the slope, and landing with a flexed knee. Think "quick feet" rather than "long braking steps."

Can a treadmill help fix overstriding?

Treadmills can be a useful tool for stride correction. Because the belt moves beneath you, there's less tendency to reach forward with each step. The controlled environment also makes it easier to focus on cadence and form without worrying about terrain, traffic, or pace. Try doing your cadence-focused metronome runs on a treadmill first, then transfer the pattern to outdoor running.