How to Improve Running Economy: 7 Tips to Run More Efficiently

Running economy is the biomechanical and physiological equivalent of your car's miles-per-gallon rating: it measures how much oxygen you burn to hold a given pace. Two runners can have the same VO2 max and finish a half marathon 10 minutes apart, because the more economical runner spends less energy per mile and has more left for the final 5K. Unlike VO2 max, which plateaus fairly quickly for most recreational runners, running economy keeps responding to training for years — which makes it one of the highest-leverage things you can work on.

What Running Economy Actually Measures

Running economy (RE) is the oxygen cost of running at a submaximal pace, typically expressed as milliliters of oxygen consumed per kilogram of body weight per kilometer (mL/kg/km). If Runner A uses less oxygen than Runner B while both hold an 8:30 mile, Runner A has the better running economy — regardless of who has the higher VO2 max. In practical terms, better economy means a given pace feels easier, or you can hold a faster pace at the same effort level. If you want to anchor the paces you're comparing, a pace calculator converts a goal or recent finish time into exact per-mile splits, so "easier at this pace" has a concrete number attached to it.

Three things drive running economy the most: biomechanics (stride mechanics and foot placement), muscle-tendon stiffness (how well your legs store and return elastic energy), and body composition (extra mass costs extra oxygen to move). All three respond to training. Here are the seven changes that move the needle most.

1. Strength Train Twice a Week

Strength training is the single most consistently supported way to improve running economy in research on recreational and competitive runners alike — not for the muscle size, but for the neuromuscular efficiency it builds. Stronger muscles generate the same force with less energy cost, and stiffer, better-conditioned tendons return more elastic energy on each footstrike.

Focus on compound, running-specific movements twice a week, non-consecutive days:

• Squats or split squats: 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps
• Single-leg Romanian deadlifts: 3 sets of 8 per leg
• Calf raises (straight and bent knee): 3 sets of 12 to 15
• Planks or dead bugs for core stability: 3 sets of 30 to 45 seconds

Keep the load challenging enough that the last 2 reps feel hard, and schedule these sessions on easy-run days or rest days, never immediately before a hard workout. See the full strength training guide for runners for a complete progression.

2. Add Hill Sprints Once a Week

Short, hard hill sprints build the same power and elastic-return qualities as heavy strength work, but in a running-specific pattern that also improves form under load. On a moderate 4 to 6 percent grade, run 6 to 10 reps of 8 to 10 seconds at a hard, near-maximal effort, walking back down for full recovery between reps. Because the effort is so short, this session doesn't carry the fatigue cost of a long tempo run, and it's one of the fastest ways to feel a stride-power difference — most runners notice their flat-ground stride feels more powerful within 3 to 4 weeks.

3. Train Your Cadence Toward 170 to 180 Steps Per Minute

Cadence — your steps per minute — has an outsized effect on running economy because low cadence usually means overstriding, which acts like a brake with every footstrike. Most efficient distance runners land somewhere in the 170-to-180-steps-per-minute range, though the ideal number varies by height and leg length, so treat that as a directional target rather than a rule.

To check your current cadence, count your right-foot strikes for 30 seconds during an easy run and multiply by 4. If you're well under 170, don't jump straight to the target — shift it up by about 5 percent for 2 to 3 weeks at a time using a metronome app or a playlist built around the target beats per minute, then reassess. Jumping too far too fast changes your mechanics faster than your muscles and tendons can adapt, which raises injury risk.

4. Add Strides to the End of Easy Runs

Strides are short, controlled accelerations — not sprints — that teach your neuromuscular system to recruit muscle fibers efficiently at faster paces without the fatigue cost of a full speed session. After an easy run, add 4 to 6 strides of 20 to 30 seconds each (roughly 80 to 100 meters), building smoothly to about 90 percent effort by the midpoint and easing back down, with 60 to 90 seconds of walking recovery between each. Twice a week is enough to see a benefit.

5. Clean Up Your Form — Without Overhauling It

Small form inefficiencies compound over 13.1 miles: excessive vertical bounce, crossover arm swing, and overstriding all burn oxygen without moving you forward faster. Rather than trying to change everything at once, pick one cue per training block — "quiet arms," "quick feet," or "run tall" — and revisit it every few miles on an easy run until it's automatic. Foot strike pattern (heel, midfoot, or forefoot) matters less than most runners assume and shouldn't be forced; see Perfect Foot Strike and Running Form for what actually matters there. If you want a structured way to evaluate your own mechanics before picking a cue, Running Form Analysis: 5 Steps walks through a self-video process.

6. Get Fitted for the Right Shoes

Footwear is one of the few running economy factors with directly measured effects in lab testing. Modern carbon-plated racing and training shoes have shown oxygen-cost improvements in the 2 to 4 percent range for many runners, largely from the rigid plate and responsive foam returning more energy per stride. That said, the "best" shoe is the one that matches your gait, mileage, and injury history — a shoe that's technically more efficient but causes you to change your stride awkwardly, or that isn't broken in before race day, can cost you more than it saves. Get a gait check at a specialty running store if you haven't had one recently, and never race in shoes you haven't run at least 20 to 30 miles in during training.

7. Build a Bigger Aerobic Base

The least glamorous factor is also the most powerful over time: consistent aerobic mileage improves running economy through cardiovascular and muscular adaptations that no single workout can replicate — increased capillary density, more efficient mitochondria, and a stronger, more fatigue-resistant muscular system. Runners who build their weekly mileage gradually over months and years typically see steadier, more durable economy gains than runners who chase quick fixes. If you're increasing volume, keep the classic 10 percent rule in mind for weekly mileage growth, and make sure most of those miles stay at a genuinely easy, conversational pace — the aerobic adaptations that drive economy come from volume at low intensity, not from turning every run into a workout.

Putting It Together

None of these seven levers work in isolation, and you don't need to chase all seven at once. A reasonable approach for a half marathon training block: strength train twice a week, add one hill sprint session and one strides session, keep an ongoing cadence cue in the back of your mind on easy runs, and let your aerobic mileage build steadily underneath all of it. Revisit your shoe rotation once a season. Economy gains are cumulative and slow to show up on a stopwatch, but they show up exactly where it counts — in how the last 5K of your half marathon feels.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is running economy in simple terms?

Running economy is the amount of oxygen your body consumes to maintain a given pace. If two runners hold the same 9:00-per-mile pace but one uses less oxygen to do it, that runner has better running economy — meaning more of their aerobic capacity is left in reserve for the later miles of a race.

How long does it take to improve running economy?

Most runners notice a measurable shift in 8 to 12 weeks of consistent work, since economy improves through neuromuscular adaptation and aerobic base building rather than a single mechanism. Strength training and hill work tend to show up first, in the 4-to-6-week range, while cadence and form changes take longer to feel automatic.

Does running economy matter more than VO2 max for half marathon performance?

For most non-elite half marathoners, yes — running economy is usually the more trainable and more decisive factor. Two runners with an identical VO2 max can finish 10 or more minutes apart because the more economical runner spends less energy per mile, leaving more in the tank over 13.1 miles.

Can new running shoes actually improve running economy?

Yes, footwear is one of the few running economy factors with directly measured effects. Studies on modern carbon-plated racing shoes have shown oxygen-cost improvements in the range of 2 to 4 percent versus traditional trainers, though the effect varies by runner and the shoe still needs to fit your gait and mileage needs.