Team Injinji athlete and endurance running coach Jeff Browning is back with another installment of Head to Toe with Coach Jeff. In this video blog, Coach Jeff highlights techniques to improve your uphill and downhill running.
Video Transcript
Lightly edited from the video above for readability in blog format.
Hey, Coach Jeff Browning here—GiddyUp!
I'm training at about 8,400 feet right now, so today's lesson is coming to you from some altitude in the San Francisco Peaks, just outside my home in Flagstaff, Arizona. It’s a beautiful day—partly cloudy, with about a 40% chance of afternoon thunderstorms. I'm heading out for a long run, oh yeah! Let’s get into some tips.
Uphill Running Tips
When you're running uphill, focus on staying light on your feet. Keep a slight forward lean—especially from the ankles—and drop your hips into a slight squat position. That will bring your torso forward. Engage your core by pulling your belly button toward your spine.
Drive your heel up toward the back of your knee. Think quick, light ground contact. You want a high cadence. Keep your feet under you, chest over knees, knees over toes—boom! Just keep going up!
Here’s another key tip: When you’re reading trail terrain, look at the grade. If the hill rises below your head height (in a straight line from your eyes), try to run it. If the trail rises above your head height, go ahead and hike it. If you're a newer or back-of-the-pack runner, power hike at a brisk pace—4+ mph is a great goal.
For steeper grades, you can run at a slight angle—about 45 degrees. This changes the load on your legs, calves, hips, and glutes. It also helps reduce fatigue on sustained climbs.
Downhill Running Tips
When descending, get into a slight squat. Torso forward—chest over knees, knees over toes. Don’t overreach. The only reaching you should do is with a slight point of the foot to align your foot parallel to the trail, with your lower leg perpendicular to the ground.
As your weight comes forward, strike under your center of gravity and drive your heel up toward the back of your knee—boom boom! Think of it like suspension.
Lead with a slightly pointed foot to land on your midfoot, not your heel. That gives you better traction—especially on loose terrain. The forefoot (the front two-thirds of your shoe) gives you the best surface contact, with the heel slightly elevated underneath your center of mass.
It's kind of like controlled falling when you put it all together.
Don’t forget:
- Lean forward
- Quick feet
- Short steps around corners
- Longer strides with more exaggerated point on smoother or flat sections
For technical terrain, if there’s a drop—like a rock or ledge—use a double-foot landing. Come in, land both feet together—BOOM!—then run out of it. It’s like jumping off a box: land, absorb, and fly out. Super effective move.
Final Thoughts
Practice these moves slowly at first. As you gain comfort and control, speed it up. The key is to stay light, quick, and efficient. Try out Injinji’s Trail Series socks to prevent blisters, manage moisture, and promote total foot utilization while you’re out on the trail.
