Do Runners Need Strength Training?

Running is fundamentally endurance and aerobic work—but without strength, your performance, economy, and durability can suffer. Strength training (properly applied) helps runners in several critical ways:

Key Benefits of Strength Training for Runners

• Improved Running Economy

• Running economy refers to how efficiently your body uses oxygen and energy at sub-maximal speeds. Stronger muscles (especially in legs, hips, core) reduce wasted motion, improve force application, and help maintain form even as fatigue sets in.

  • A recent systematic review & meta-analysis found that strength training (especially high‐load, plyometric, or combined methods) improves running economy in middle- and long-distance runners across a variety of speeds. (LLanos et. al)

  • Another study of well-trained runners doing maximal strength work (half-squats, heavy loads) 3× per week over 8 weeks showed improvements in 1-repetition maximum (1RM), rate of force development, running economy (~5%), and time to exhaustion at maximal aerobic speed (~21%) compared to a control group. (Støren et. al)

• Better Performance (Time Trial / Endurance)

• Strength training doesn’t just make you more efficient—it helps you run faster, sustain higher intensities, and improve in time trials or races with less fatigue.

  • In the meta-analysis “The Effect of Strength Training Methods on Middle-Distance and Long-Distance Runners’ Athletic Performance,” high‐load strength training was shown to improve time trial performance and time to exhaustion. (Llanos et. al)

  • Another review concluded that implementing heavy resistance training or plyometrics 2-3 times per week for 8-12 weeks produces meaningful improvements in running economy, which translate into better endurance performance. (LLanos et. al)

• Injury Prevention & Durability

• Running, especially long distances, involves repetitive loading of joints, tendons, and muscles. Weakness, imbalances, or fatigue in stabilizing muscles (hips, glutes, core) often contribute to injuries. Strength training helps build durability, control, and resilience.

  • A systematic review & meta-analysis on exercise-based prevention programs (which include strength components) found that multicomponent interventions can almost halve the risk of overuse injuries in endurance athletes. (LLanos et. al)

What the Evidence Suggests for Program Design

• Use high loads (e.g. ≥ 80% of one repetition maximum) for resistance training when possible. These seem to yield greater improvements in economy and performance. (LLanos et. al)

• Plyometric training (jumps, bounding) also helps, especially at lower running speeds. (LLanos et. al)

• Frequency of about 2-3 strength sessions per week, over at least 6-8 weeks, tends to produce measurable benefits. (Støren et. al)

• Strength training is most effective as a supplement to regular running—not a replacement. It should be integrated so that recovery, load management, and injury risk are considered.

Take-Home Message

If you're a runner wanting to improve your efficiency, speed, and staying power—and reduce your risk of injury—strength training isn’t optional, it’s essential. It helps your body do more with less, maintain form longer, and come back stronger.

References

Balsalobre-Fernández, C., Santos-Concejero, J., & Grivas, G. V. (2016). Effects of strength training on running economy in highly trained runners: A systematic review with meta-analysis of controlled trials. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 30(8), 2361–2368. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001316

Beattie, K., Carson, B. P., Lyons, M., Rossiter, A., & Kenny, I. C. (2017). The effect of strength training on performance in endurance athletes. Sports Medicine, 47(3), 433–443. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0590-x

Llanos-Lagos C, Ramirez-Campillo R, Moran J, Sáez de Villarreal E. Effect of Strength Training Programs in Middle- and Long-Distance Runners' Economy at Different Running Speeds: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2024 Apr;54(4):895-932. doi: 10.1007/s40279-023-01978-y. Epub 2024 Jan 2. PMID: 38165636; PMCID: PMC11052887.

Støren, Ø., Helgerud, J., Støa, E. M., & Hoff, J. (2008). Maximal strength training improves running economy in distance runners. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 40(6), 1087–1092. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e318168da2f