The Terrifying Thrill of Running Downhill

Form, technique, and flow for the other side of the hill.

We spend a lot of time training to run up hills, but what about the way down? 

When that monster, soul-crushing hill is finally in your rearview mirror, and you crest the summit with the wind at your back, all you have to do is lean into the descent and let gravity carry you down the slope. Simple, right? 

Oh, you also need to elongate your stride while maintaining an even cadence with your head up and arms loose. Don’t look at your feet, but try not to trip because that would really suck. Above all, remember to stay relaxed at all times no matter how steep or technical the descent becomes. Simple. 

If running uphill is about power, grit, and the determination to continue putting one front of the other, flowing downhill is about technique, form, and the ability to focus so intently that you have the capacity to block out all external stimuli and let yourself go. It’s a feeling more than a pace.  

Part of the fun – if it can be called that – of incorporating hills into your running is that it breaks the monotony of the long, flat path. One minute you’re a locomotive chugging up the mountain, and the next you’re a rocket ship flying off into space. 

Like anything else, it takes practice to be the rocket. It takes even more practice not to crash the rocket into a ditch. But man, that ride is so worth it because there’s no better feeling than burning down a hill without a care in the world as you blast off into the cosmos.  

Here’s how to prepare for liftoff.