Strength Training for
Runners

One of the biggest myths in the sport is that strength training makes runners heavier and slower. Research points the other way: strength training improves running economy, increases stride power and reduces injury risk.

In a meta-analysis of high-level runners, strength programs of 2 to 3 sessions a week for 8 to 12 weeks improved running economy with a large effect — which translates into a faster pace at the same aerobic effort. In another meta-analysis, strength training cut sports injuries to less than a third.

The physiological explanation: stronger muscles store and release elastic energy more efficiently with each stride — less energy expenditure per km.

This guide covers the runner's strength workout. To build and track your gym program, see the strength training spreadsheet; to fit both workouts into the week, see strength training and running.

The ideal is 2 strength sessions per week, preferably on easy running days or on the same day as quality workouts (after the run, not before).

Avoid strength training the day before your most intense workout of the week. Muscle fatigue can compromise the quality of intervals or long run.

A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (2016) followed long-distance runners for 14 weeks. The group that added 2 weekly strength sessions improved running economy by 4.6% — with no gain in body mass.

How does it work? Stronger muscles produce more force with less electrical activation (less muscular co-contraction), store and return more elastic energy with every stride, and resist fatigue better in long runs.

For marathon runners specifically, the loss of strength over the final 15km — known as 'running economy deterioration' — is significantly smaller in those who strength train regularly.