Run Technique Coach

Run Technique Coach UK Athletics Endurance Coach.

Bedford & County AC
British Milers Club
Movement skills through UK Athletics, Biomechanics Coach and FMS
Teaching runners a unique way to learn to run efficiently.

15/09/2026

Two of the best distance runners on the planet. Same race, both fatigued, two very different pictures.
This freeze frame is deep into the 2026 London Marathon — Phil Sesemann working his way through the field with a very slight fade, Joshua Cheptegei fighting to hold form as he closes the race out.
Look at the front side.
Phil still has reach. Still has air. Still has time to complete the front side of the stride before he lands — because he’s getting the stride back underneath him at midstance, bracing exactly where he needs to, staying organised and balanced under fatigue.
Joshua is deeper into the fatigue picture. Slightly too much reach, not enough airtime to finish the front side shape, bracing a fraction early, fighting for stability on his right side.
And yet — he’s still getting on and off the ground with precision. Still finding the stretch-shortening cycle under that kind of fatigue. That’s remarkable. Any amateur runner in that state isn’t springing off the ground anymore — they’re pushing their way around the stride, muscling it, because the elastic system has nothing left to give.
That’s why Joshua is still running 3 min/km pace deep into a marathon while compromised. That’s the gap between world-class technique and everyone else — it’s not that fatigue doesn’t touch them. It’s what fatigue is allowed to take before the system breaks down.
Two of the greatest marathon runners alive, showing you what most of us can only dream of holding onto when it gets hard.

12/09/2026

GET THE FORCE DOWN

Here are two simple exercises using a step to help you learn to put your foot down at the front of your stride and apply force in the right direction.

Exercise 1 — Step Up

Start with a simple step-up, but don’t just step onto the box.

Hit the step with a little bit of force, then step up and open the hip and knee.

Start by working one leg at a time — 10 reps on each leg.

Exercise 2 — Dynamic Switch

This one is much more dynamic.

Switch from side to side, making sure you apply force at the front of the leg, opening completely through the hip and knee before you land.

This adds a little bit of spring into the steps.

If you do a bit of research on YouTube, you’ll find elite marathon groups using this type of fundamental work before they begin their marathon build-up.

Once they’ve recovered from their previous race, marathon or half marathon, they get into the gym.

And they’re not lifting humongous weights or doing Olympic lifts.

No — they’re doing basic, fundamental exercises that teach them to apply force effectively.

It’s not always about producing more force.

It’s about putting the force down in the right place, in the right direction, at the right time.

What do you see?Two fantastic runners. Two professional athletes of exceptional quality.Both in the latter stages of the...
11/09/2026

What do you see?

Two fantastic runners. Two professional athletes of exceptional quality.

Both in the latter stages of the London Marathon.
Both at exactly the same point in the stride.
Both in the drive position.

(I’m a big PS fan).

Now look closely.

How are they organising themselves?

What’s the relationship between the upper and lower body?

Look at the angles of attack.
Look at the positions closely.
Look at how they’ve reacted.

Take fitness out of the equation.

These are two exceptionally fit athletes. That’s not what we’re looking at here.

We’re looking at the small percentages.

The subtle technical differences that, at this level, can make a difference.

So… what do you see?

10/09/2026

RUNNING FOOTWORK

This is what running would look like if you regressed it to walking.

You’ll see that it’s completely different from our normal, day-to-day locomotion.

Most scissor-based runners and overstriders will walk with a typical push-off through the toe, heel landing out in front, then rolling onto the foot.

That’s an effective and economical way to walk. It’s easier, and for many people it allows them to move around at a very low heart rate.

But running requires us to flip that pattern around.

Try walking using a run-based pattern: midfoot first, then let the heel come down. You’ll quickly find that walking this way feels surprisingly difficult.

That’s because you’re asking your nervous system to learn a completely different movement pattern.

Initially, switching from walk-based to run-based mechanics can cause your heart rate to spike. But after a surprisingly short period of motor learning, the new pattern starts to become unconscious.

You can then use it at higher speeds, with less wasted energy, and for longer periods while maintaining quality.

So give it a try.

And this is why footwork is so important.

In my training courses, workshops and online Academy, we have a full section dedicated to footwork because it underpins every single drill we do.

The run-based mechanic is very different from the walk-based mechanic — and learning that footwork is fundamental to becoming a more effective runner and athlete.

08/09/2026

FOOT STRIKE & GROUND REACTION

This little skipping drill — more of a gallop — is perfect for developing a better foot strike and ground reaction.

We’re encouraging you to bounce off the ground, rather than sink into it.

Drive one knee up and hit the ground with that foot a little harder. The aim is to create a quick, reactive contact and use the stretch-shortening cycle to put energy back into your stride.

We want to develop that natural pop and free speed, using the tendons to store and release energy rather than absorbing everything through the muscles and dampening the stride.

It also challenges your rhythm and coordination, making it fantastic all-round training.

Use it as part of your warm-up before either a running session or a gym session.

Think quick, reactive and springy. 🏃‍♂️💥

Thanks to

06/09/2026

A-Skip Intent ⚡️

I see a lot of influencers demonstrating A-skips far too slowly — driving the knee up but forgetting the most important part… driving the foot DOWN.

Slow A-skips are useful early in the learning process. They help runners understand the shapes and positions.

But they’re not the finished article.

To make A-skips actually improve your running form, you need to add:

⚡ Stiffness
⚡ Intent
⚡ Speed
⚡ Force into the ground

When done correctly, A-skips begin to sharpen your rhythm and timing, creating the correct action–reaction sequence that transfers directly into your running.

Think less “lift the knee slowly”
and more “attack the ground.”

That’s when the drill starts to become transferable to your running.



04/09/2026

THE 5 MOVE LOOP 🔄

Every elite runner moves through five key positions during every stride.

At Run Technique Coach, we call this the 5 Move Loop:

👉 DIP → TUCK → DRIVE → KICK → LAND

Each position has drills, skills, and movement patterns attached to it that can be trained, improved, and connected together.

🔹 DIP
Your mid-stance position.

This is where everything happens.

You need to be:
• Balanced
• Stable
• Aligned
• Strong through the hips

If things go wrong in your running, they usually go wrong here.

🔹 TUCK
The release phase.

As the stance foot unloads, the unsupported side needs to be lifted.

The timing of this movement is crucial if you want to get on and off the foot quickly and access the stretch-shortening cycle.

Think:
✔️ C-Shape
✔️ C-Skip

🔹 DRIVE
Project the stride forward.

This is where we create powerful 90-degree running shapes that help us move efficiently and economically.

Think:
✔️ A-Shape
✔️ A-Skip

🔹 KICK
Prime the landing.

The leg extends slightly in front of the body, placing the hamstrings and glutes under tension before the foot returns underneath us.

Think:
✔️ B-Shape
✔️ B-Skip

🔹 LAND
The cycle begins again.

Traditionally we teach a flat-foot or mid-foot landing, but if you watch elite distance runners closely, many make initial contact with the heel before rolling into the DIP position.

The key isn’t where you touch the ground first.

The key is bringing the foot back down towards you rather than leaving it out in front.

💡 Every one of these moves / shapes / positions can be trained.

Through drills, skills, awareness, rhythm, timing and repetition, you can connect the loop and build a more efficient running stride.

Most recreational runners fall into an overstride or scissor pattern.

With a little more finesse and understanding, they can begin to move with the flow, rhythm and efficiency we see in elite runners.

Move better.
Train smarter.
Run faster.

Comment GUIDE below and I’ll send you our FREE running form guide.

01/09/2026

✂️ Scissor running vs Real full running mechanics

Even at slow paces, you can run beautifully.

However, most runners are fighting the treadmill… and the ground.

They’re stuck in back side walk-based mechanics.

👉 Scissor action
👉 Driven from the back foot
👉 Pushing off behind
👉 Breaking on landing

It’s effort… without flow.

Now compare that to Real running.

👉 Front-side mechanics
👉 Drive → Kick → Land
👉 Working with the belt, not against it
👉 Smooth, elastic, continuous

The action happens in front of you.

You’re not pushing and fighting.

You’re organising movement, using the spring, and letting the stride flow.

That’s the skill most runners have lost.

And that’s exactly what we rebuild inside the 5-Move system.

If you want to stop fighting the ground and start running properly…

Learn the skill.

Want to know more about running technique, then comment GUIDE and I’ll send a link to register for our free guide and some key videos on the components of great form.

29/08/2026

IS YOUR RUNNING HOLDING YOU BACK? 🏃‍♂️

Maybe you’ve hit a plateau.

Maybe injuries keep interrupting your training.

Or maybe you just KNOW you’re capable of running much faster.

Your engine might be great…

But what if the chassis is holding it back?

Inside the Run Technique Academy, we help you build the body you need to carry your fitness forward.

People knocking chunks off their times. People getting rid of injuries. People knowing what they need to work on.

🏃 18-Session Foundations Course
Learn the fundamentals of the 5 Move System, tighten up your stride and start overcoming common patterns such as scissor running and overstriding.

🎥 Weekly Live Sessions + Q&A
Work through the programme with me, bit by bit. Learn the movements, practise the drills, ask questions and understand what you’re actually trying to achieve.

⚡ Essential Plyometrics
Learn how to bounce, hop and skip properly, developing the springiness and elasticity you need for better running.

🧠 Movement Skills
Develop the agility, balance, coordination, rhythm and timing that underpin good running.

💪 Essential Strength
Build the strength, stability and control to support better movement and help your body cope with the demands of running.

You train your cardiovascular system.

You build your engine.

Now build the body that can actually use it.

Want to learn more about the system?

Comment GUIDE below and I’ll send you the details.

Move better. Train smarter. Run faster.

28/08/2026

YOUR MOVEMENT SCREEN CAN TELL US A LOT ABOUT YOUR RUNNING.

The Active Straight Leg Raise and Toe Touch are two great diagnostic tests I use as part of an overall movement screen.

When an athlete struggles to lift a straight leg or can’t hinge effectively at the hips and reach their toes, we’ll often see problems show up when they’re running on a single leg:

Hip drop.
Knee valgus.
Overpronation.
Poor control when absorbing force.

And remember — every stride you take is essentially a single-leg movement.

The answer isn’t simply to start adding more strength.

First, we need to restore the mobility you’re missing.

Then build the stability to control that new range.

Then we can load it for strength.

And finally develop the plyometric qualities that allow you to brace, absorb and return force from a strong position — stride after stride.

If you fail both of these tests, there could be a lot of running performance you’re leaving on the table.

Let’s get it back.

Want to know more about the Run Technique Academy?

Comment GUIDE below and we’ll send you the latest information.

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