Overstriding in Runners: How to Spot It and How to Fix It
Overstriding is one of the most common patterns we flag, and one of the most fixable. Here is what it is and what to do about it.
The quick take
- Overstriding is when your foot lands well ahead of your body, usually with a straight knee and a forward-reaching shin.
- It is associated with more braking at each step and higher loading, and it tends to travel with a low cadence.
- The clearest 2D signal is the shin (shank) angle at initial contact: near vertical is good, angled well out in front is a flag.
- The single best fix is usually a small cadence increase, which pulls the foot back under the body.
- You can see your own shin angle and cadence from a side-on phone clip.
Overstriding is probably the most talked-about flaw in distance running, and for once the hype is mostly deserved. It shows up constantly, it adds load you do not need, and it responds well to a couple of simple changes. The catch is that most runners picture it wrong. It is not about how long your stride is. It is about where your foot lands relative to your body.
What overstriding actually is
You are overstriding when your foot contacts the ground well in front of your center of mass, typically with a straight knee and a shin that angles forward. Because the foot is out ahead of you, it acts like a small brake at every step, pushing back against your momentum before your body passes over it. The opposite, and the goal, is a foot that lands closer to underneath your hips so your momentum keeps flowing forward.
In an evidence-based running analysis, the practical way to judge this from the side is the shank angle at initial contact, the angle of your shin relative to vertical when your foot first touches down.[1] A shin that is close to vertical means the foot is landing near underneath you. A shin angled well out in front means the foot is reaching. If you want to see your own number, you can screen your stride from a side-on clip and read the shin angle directly.
Why it matters
Every time the foot lands ahead of you with a stiff leg, two things happen: the leg cannot absorb the landing as well, and the ground pushes back against your forward motion. This braking-and-reaching pattern is associated in the research with a more extended knee and more dorsiflexed ankle at contact, the same cluster of patterns seen more often in injured runners.[2] It also tends to travel with a low step rate, which is why the fixes overlap so heavily.
Shin near vertical
at initial contact is the target. A forward-reaching shin is the hallmark of overstriding and more braking[1]
How to fix it
1. Raise your cadence a little
This is the big one. When you take slightly quicker steps at the same speed, your stride naturally shortens and the foot comes down closer to under your body. Increasing step rate by 5 to 10 percent reduces the energy the knee and hip have to absorb and shortens the over-reach, all at once.[3][4] Start with about a 5 percent bump using a metronome or a playlist. Our full cadence guide walks through how to find and shift your number.
2. Cue landing under your hips
Simple mental cues work. Think about your foot landing beneath you rather than out in front, or about a slight whole-body lean from the ankles so gravity carries you forward. Wall lean drives (lean into a wall at a slight forward angle and drive the knees, feeling the foot land under the hip) build the same feel.
3. Do not obsess over foot strike
Runners often try to fix overstriding by forcing a forefoot landing. Skip that. Chasing a foot-strike change can create new problems, and it is not the root issue. Fix where the foot lands, not which part touches first. We cover this in depth in our guide on heel strike versus forefoot strike.
| Signal | What it looks like | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Shin at contact | Angled well forward, foot ahead of knee | Raise cadence 5 to 10 percent[3] |
| Knee at contact | Straight, stiff-legged landing | Cue soft, slightly bent knee under the hips |
| Cadence | Low for your pace | Metronome runs, quick and light[4] |
| Where you feel it | Braking, jarring landings | Land under hips, slight ankle lean |
The bottom line
Overstriding is common, easy to see once you know the shin-angle cue, and very fixable. In most cases a small cadence increase plus a land-under-your-hips cue does the majority of the work. Film a side-on clip, screen your stride to see your shin angle and cadence together, and pair it with hip and glute strength so the change holds.
Common questions
What is overstriding in running?+
Overstriding is when your foot lands well ahead of your body's center of mass, usually with a straight knee and a forward-angled shin. Because the foot is out in front, it adds a braking force at each step. The fix is to land closer to underneath your hips.
How do I know if I overstride?+
The clearest signal from a side-on video is the shin angle when your foot first lands. A shin close to vertical means you are landing near underneath you. A shin reaching well forward, with a straight knee, is the hallmark of overstriding. A stride screen can measure this from a phone clip.
Does overstriding cause injury?+
Overstriding is associated with more braking and higher loading, and it clusters with patterns seen more often in injured runners. It is not a guaranteed cause of injury, but reducing it is a sensible, low-risk change for most runners.
What is the fastest way to fix overstriding?+
For most runners, a small cadence increase of about 5 to 10 percent is the most effective single change. Quicker steps naturally shorten the stride and pull the foot back under the body, which reduces the over-reach and the braking.
Should I switch to forefoot striking to stop overstriding?+
No. Forcing a foot-strike change is not the fix and can create new issues. Overstriding is about where the foot lands, not which part touches first. Address cadence and landing position instead.
Sources
This article is reviewed against the research below. Where findings are debated, we say so in the text rather than overstating the certainty.
- 1.Souza RB. An Evidence-Based Videotaped Running Biomechanics Analysis. Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2016;27(1):217-236. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4714754/
- 2.Bramah C, Preece SJ, Gill N, Herrington L. Is There a Pathological Gait Associated With Common Soft Tissue Running Injuries? Am J Sports Med. 2018;46(12):3023-3031. American Journal of Sports Medicine. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0363546518793657
- 3.Heiderscheit BC, Chumanov ES, Michalski MP, Wille CM, Ryan MB. Effects of step rate manipulation on joint mechanics during running. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011;43(2):296-302. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3022995/
- 4.Schubert AG, Kempf J, Heiderscheit BC. Influence of stride frequency and length on running mechanics: a systematic review. Sports Health. 2014;6(3):210-217. Sports Health. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4000471/
This article is education and movement screening, not a medical diagnosis, injury prediction, or treatment plan. If you have pain or a concern about an injury, consult a qualified healthcare professional.