Running Economy: What It Is and How to Improve It With Data

What Is Running Economy?

Running economy is a measure of how much oxygen your body consumes to run at a given pace. A runner with good economy uses less oxygen — and therefore less energy — to maintain a target speed compared to a runner with poor economy at the same fitness level. It is the running equivalent of fuel efficiency in a car: two engines with the same power output, but one gets dramatically more miles per litre.

Running economy is typically expressed as the oxygen cost (ml O2/kg/km) at a standardised pace. Elite marathon runners typically have exceptional running economy that allows them to sustain their race pace at a fraction of their VO2max — which is why they can hold 2:10 pace for 26 miles.

For recreational athletes, improving running economy means running faster at the same effort, or the same pace with less fatigue. It is one of the highest-leverage variables in running performance because it can be improved significantly with targeted training even when VO2max has plateaued.

The Biomechanical Determinants of Running Economy

Running economy is influenced by a range of biomechanical and physiological factors:

Ground Contact Time

Every millisecond your foot spends on the ground is energy absorbed and redirected rather than propelling you forward. Elite runners have very short ground contact times — typically 170–200ms — compared to recreational runners (240–300ms+). Shorter contact time is associated with better elastic energy return from tendons and more efficient force application.

Vertical Oscillation

Energy spent moving up and down is energy not spent moving forward. Excessive vertical oscillation (bouncing) is a consistent marker of poor running economy. Elite runners have minimal vertical displacement per stride — they skim across the ground rather than bouncing on it.

Stride Length and Cadence

Running cadence (steps per minute) and stride length interact to produce pace. Most recreational runners overstride — landing with the foot well ahead of the centre of mass — which increases braking forces and energy cost. A slight increase in cadence (aiming for 170–180 spm) typically reduces overstriding and improves economy without requiring significant technique coaching.

Trunk Stability and Arm Mechanics

Energy spent on lateral trunk movement or asymmetric arm swing is wasted energy. Strong core and hip muscles that maintain a stable platform reduce the metabolic cost of running at any given pace.

Leg Spring Stiffness

Your legs act as springs during running. Appropriate leg spring stiffness — particularly through the Achilles tendon and plantar fascia — allows elastic energy storage and return with each stride. This is why plyometric training and strength work improve running economy even in athletes who are already aerobically fit.

How Garmin Tracks Running Economy Metrics

Modern Garmin running watches — particularly the Forerunner 955, 965, and Fenix series — track several running dynamics metrics that directly relate to running economy:

• Ground Contact Time (GCT): Measured in milliseconds. Lower is generally better. Track your GCT trend over months of training.
• Ground Contact Time Balance: The percentage split between left and right foot contact. Values close to 50/50 indicate symmetrical mechanics. Significant asymmetry (above 51/49) can signal a muscle imbalance or injury risk.
• Vertical Oscillation: How much you move up and down with each stride, measured in centimetres. Less is better — elite runners typically show 6–8cm; recreational runners often 10–12cm+.
• Vertical Ratio: Vertical oscillation divided by stride length, expressed as a percentage. This normalises oscillation for stride length and is a more useful economy proxy than oscillation alone. Lower is better.
• Stride Length: Distance covered per stride.
• Cadence: Steps per minute.

Running dynamics data requires either Garmin’s HRM-Run or HRM-Pro chest strap, or the built-in sensors on watches that support wrist-based running dynamics (Forerunner 955, 965).

How to Improve Running Economy

Increase Running Cadence

If your cadence is below 170 spm, a modest increase of 5–10% will likely reduce overstriding and improve economy. Garmin watches allow you to set cadence alerts that beep when you fall below your target range. Start by increasing cadence by 5% during easy runs for 4–6 weeks before progressing further.

Strength Training

Resistance training is the most evidence-backed intervention for improving running economy in already-trained runners. Focus on:

• Heavy strength training (80–90% 1RM): Squats, deadlifts, and single-leg exercises that develop leg spring stiffness and tendon properties
• Plyometrics: Box jumps, bounding, and depth jumps that train elastic energy storage and return
• Hip and glute strength: Single-leg hip thrusts, glute bridges, lateral band work to improve trunk stability and running mechanics

Research consistently shows that 2 sessions of strength training per week alongside endurance training improves running economy by 2–8% in well-trained runners — a significant gain that cannot be replicated by additional running volume alone.

Strides and Short Accelerations

Brief 20–30 second accelerations at the end of easy runs — running at roughly mile race pace with good form — train neuromuscular efficiency and reinforce fast, economical mechanics without adding meaningful cardiovascular fatigue. Four to six strides twice per week are a low-cost, high-return addition to any running programme.

Accumulate Volume

Running economy improves with accumulated running mileage over months and years through tendon adaptation, muscle fibre changes, and movement pattern automation. There is no shortcut to the adaptations that come from consistent high-volume training over time.

Using Your Garmin Data to Track Improvement

The most useful metric to monitor over months of economy-focused training is your aerobic efficiency — pace or power per unit of heart rate at a standardised easy effort. As running economy improves, your pace at a given heart rate will increase (or your heart rate at a given pace will decrease). Track this in Garmin Connect by comparing easy run data across weeks and months, holding conditions (temperature, terrain) as constant as possible.

Running dynamics metrics give you more granular feedback. Trend improvements in vertical ratio and ground contact time balance over a training block provide evidence that technique-focused work is translating into more efficient mechanics.

The Bottom Line

Running economy is one of the most trainable performance variables in endurance running. Cadence optimisation, consistent strength training, strides, and accumulated mileage are all evidence-based methods that produce measurable improvements. Track your running dynamics data in Garmin Connect over months, and use aerobic efficiency trends at a familiar easy pace as your primary long-term economy indicator.