The "Pose" Running Style

Pose running was developed by Nicholas Romanov while teaching at the Physical Education Department of the Chuvash Pedagogical University in 1977 (USSR). He proposes one universal technique for all runners, regardless of speed or distance. A 100-metre sprinter runs with the same underlying technique as a 10-km long-distance runner. The technique is designed to prevent undue strain on the joints and requires a great deal of muscular endurance and resilience.

Basic Principles

The distinguishing characteristic of pose running (Romanov 2002)^[2] is that the athlete lands on the midfoot, with the supporting joints flexed at impact, and then uses the hamstring muscles to withdraw the foot from the ground, relying on gravity to propel the runner forward. This style is in clear contrast to the heel-strike method that most runners deploy and advocated by some healthcare professionals.

In pose running, the key is to maximise your effort in removing your support foot from the ground; proper training is essential to ensure that you do not over-stride or create excessive vertical oscillation. The runner should fall forward, changing support from one leg to the other by pulling the foot from the ground, allowing minimum effort and producing minimum braking to this body movement. The idea is to maximise gravity to pull the runner forward.

The pose method is centred on the idea that a runner maintains a single pose or position, moving continually forward in this position. Romanov uses two models to explain the rationale behind the pose:

The mechanical model - the centre of gravity, which is around the hip position, should move in a horizontal line, without vertical up and down displacement.
The biological model - the rear leg maintains an 'S-like' form and never straightens.

Perhaps the most helpful imagery to help with this technique is to imagine a vertical line from the runner's head straight down to the ground. The raised front leg should never breach this line but remain firmly behind it. This focuses the effort on pulling the ankle up vertically under your hip rather than extending forward with your quads and hip flexors.

Key Points of the Pose Running Style

Smith (2005)^[1] suggests the following key points:

Raise your ankle straight up under your hip, using the hamstrings.
Keep your support time short.
Your support is always on the balls of your feet.
Do not touch the ground with your heels.
Avoid shifting weight over your toes: raise your ankle when the weight is on the ball of your foot.
Keep your ankle fixed at the same angle.
Keep knees bent at all times.
Feet remain behind the vertical line going through your knees.
Keep stride length short.
Keep knees and thighs down, close together, and relaxed.
Always focus on pulling the foot from the ground, not on landing.
Do not point or land on the toes.
Gravity, not muscle action, controls the landing of the legs.
Keep shoulder, hip and ankle in vertical alignment.
Arm movement is for balance, not for force production.

References

SMITH, S. (2005) Pose: a beginner's guide. Peak Performance, 216, p. 1-4
ROMANOV, N. (2002) Pose Method of Running. PoseTech Press

Page Reference

If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:

MACKENZIE, B. (2006) Pose [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/pose.htm [Accessed 18/6/2025]

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He proposes one universal technique for all runners, regardless of speed or distance. A 100-metre sprinter runs with the same underlying technique as a 10-km long-distance runner. The technique is designed to prevent undue strain on the joints and requires a great deal of muscular endurance and resilience. Basic Principles The distinguishing characteristic of pose running (Romanov 2002)^[2] is that the athlete lands on the midfoot, with the supporting joints flexed at impact, and then uses the hamstring muscles to withdraw the foot from the ground, relying on gravity to propel the runner forward. This style is in clear contrast to the heel-strike method that most runners deploy and advocated by some healthcare professionals. In pose running, the key is to maximise your effort in removing your support foot from the ground; proper training is essential to ensure that you do not over-stride or create excessive vertical oscillation. The runner should fall forward, changing support from one leg to the other by pulling the foot from the ground, allowing minimum effort and producing minimum braking to this body movement. The idea is to maximise gravity to pull the runner forward. The pose method is centred on the idea that a runner maintains a single pose or position, moving continually forward in this position. Romanov uses two models to explain the rationale behind the pose: The mechanical model - the centre of gravity, which is around the hip position, should move in a horizontal line, without vertical up and down displacement. The biological model - the rear leg maintains an 'S-like' form and never straightens. Perhaps the most helpful imagery to help with this technique is to imagine a vertical line from the runner's head straight down to the ground. The raised front leg should never breach this line but remain firmly behind it. This focuses the effort on pulling the ankle up vertically under your hip rather than extending forward with your quads and hip flexors. Key Points of the Pose Running Style Smith (2005)^[1] suggests the following key points: Raise your ankle straight up under your hip, using the hamstrings. Keep your support time short. Your support is always on the balls of your feet. Do not touch the ground with your heels. Avoid shifting weight over your toes: raise your ankle when the weight is on the ball of your foot. Keep your ankle fixed at the same angle. Keep knees bent at all times. Feet remain behind the vertical line going through your knees. Keep stride length short. Keep knees and thighs down, close together, and relaxed. Always focus on pulling the foot from the ground, not on landing. Do not point or land on the toes. Gravity, not muscle action, controls the landing of the legs. Keep shoulder, hip and ankle in vertical alignment. Arm movement is for balance, not for force production. References SMITH, S. (2005) Pose: a beginner's guide. Peak Performance, 216, p. 1-4 ROMANOV, N. (2002) Pose Method of Running. PoseTech Press Page Reference If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is: MACKENZIE, B. (2006) Pose [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/pose.htm [Accessed 18/6/2025] Cookies This website uses cookies placed by third-party services that appear on our pages. Cookies are used for ads personalisation. You consent to these cookies if you continue to use this website. The site does use Google ads and Google have published information about Google’s use of information.