Some of this applies more so to trail running

Downhill running requires high skill, particularly eye-foot coordination and relies on eccentric muscle activation (activation of the muscle while lengthening).

Downhill running is also the sport that causes the most muscular damage and generally wrecks legs. As you run downhill, your quads simultaneously activate and lengthen to absorb the forces of running downhill. The more skillfully you can run downhill, the less wear and tear on your legs.

Legs can get cooked fast from the braking action. You’re sort of “getting your legs out of the way” and maintaining control while gravity does the work. Lean into the downhill, be mindful you’re not braking or leaning backwards. Make sure your downhill stride length allows a mid-foot strike – leaning back and heel striking puts the brakes on.

Think of “hot coals” in your approach to running downhill. Short (ridiculously) quick steps.

Allow the legs to turnover quickly, go with the flow down the hill.

Don’t push the pace.

Let gravity help but resist temptation to “let the wheels go”.

Rather than arms next to your body, extend your elbows out a few inches, “extend your wings”.

When it’s really steep, move in a zig zag pattern and allow the arms to cross over the body.

Utilize strength training exercises like squats, deadlifts, lunges to help your downhill running.

You will need at least 2-3 days of easy running after a hard downhill effort.

Mistakes made when running downhill:

Over striding: This occurs when your foot lands too far in front of your body. This risk here is that over striding essentially causes you to hit the brakes, which stresses your joints and can quickly lead to shin splints or other injuries. To avoid this, try to maintain a slightly shorter stride length and focus on landing directly beneath your hips.

Fighting gravity: Naturally, running downhill leads to acceleration. But often runners fight gravity or overdo it on the brakes. This also causes quadriceps stress, which can lead to muscle fatigue or even a strain. Focus on staying mentally relaxed and engaging your glutes and hamstrings to help maintain control; this will allow you to gracefully embrace the pull of gravity down the hill. Think about controlled falling so that your feet land softly just under your hips and you naturally accelerate as you settle into the rhythm of your downhill.

Having a poor posture: Efficient running form is where everything comes together, and running downhill is no different. If one element is off, your form can quickly spiral downhill. As much as people hunch over on the uphill, you’ll also see runners leaning too far back on the downhill, which can throw off their balance and alignment and lead to over striding and excessive lower-body impact. Try to maintain good posture with an upright position or a slight lean forward.