Trail Running Good for your Road Running

Welsh athlete Andrew Davies who is a member of Great Britain’s World Championship team has credited mountain running as a key factor in his success at the top level of the sport in distance competition.

Off-road running is generally regarded as good training for road runners, building core strength and endurance whilst running on softer terrain reduces the likelihood of impact injury.  However tackling steeper, uneven terrain is regarded as risky by some.

But in an interview with The Guardian Davies’ coach, Steve Vernon, says that occasional runs on higher, rough ground can be advantageous too, and states that East Africans distance runners do most of their training on often steep and uneven dirt trails, making them very strong.

Davies himself said mountain trail running not only improved endurance strength but also helped with things like foot placement.