Borneo International Marathon 2025: How to Run with Proper Form?

Running a marathon isn’t just about endurance, it’s about how you run. Whether you’re training for your first 10K or aiming to smash a personal record in the full marathon, proper running form is key to running efficiently, conserving energy, and avoiding injury.

As Borneo International Marathon 2025 approaches, now is the perfect time to fine-tune your technique and make every stride count. This guide will help you understand what good running form looks like and how you can improve yours ahead of race day.

1. Why Running Form Matters?

When you run with proper form, your body moves more naturally and efficiently. Good form reduces unnecessary strain on your muscles and joints, allowing you to run longer and faster with less fatigue. Poor form, on the other hand, increases your risk of injury, especially over long distances like those in Borneo International Marathon 2025.

Common issues such as overstriding, heel striking, or excessive arm swinging can lead to problems like shin splints, IT band syndrome, and knee pain. Addressing these habits early during training will pay off when you’re pacing through the streets of Sabah.

Running coach analyzing an athlete’s stride and posture during a training session outdoors. — *Working with a coach or trainer helps identify and improve your running mechanics.*

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2. Head to Toe: Breakdown of Proper Running Form

Let’s look at how every part of your body contributes to optimal form, from head to feet:

Head and Eyes

Keep your head upright and aligned with your spine.
Avoid looking down at your feet and focus about 10 to 20 meters ahead.
This helps maintain balance and prevents unnecessary tension in your neck and shoulders.

Shoulders

Keep your shoulders relaxed and low, not hunched or tense.
Avoid letting them creep up, especially during long runs or uphill climbs.

Arms and Hands

Bend your arms at a 90-degree angle and swing them naturally from the shoulders.
Your arms should move forward and back, not across your body.
Keep hands relaxed, like you’re holding a potato chip (don’t clench fists).

Torso

Maintain a tall, upright posture. Your torso should be stable, not wobbling side to side.
Slight forward lean (from the ankles, not the waist) is ideal to drive momentum.

Hips

Your hips should remain level and forward-facing.
Avoid letting them drop or rotate excessively.

Legs and Stride

Land with your foot directly underneath your body, not out in front.
Aim for a midfoot strike to distribute impact forces evenly.

Feet

Keep a quick and light turnover and aim for around 170 to 180 steps per minute.
Push off the ground using your forefoot and big toe for better propulsion.

Maintaining good posture and midfoot striking improves speed and reduces injury risk.

3. Avoiding Common Running Form Mistakes

Even experienced runners fall into bad habits, especially under fatigue. Watch out for these common form mistakes:

Overstriding: Your foot lands too far in front of your body, causing braking and stress on joints.
Heel Striking: Hard landings on your heel slow you down and increase injury risk.
Slouching: Tired runners often slump forward to leading to poor breathing and fatigue.
Cross-Body Arm Swing: Wastes energy and causes rotation in the upper body.
Bouncing: Excess vertical movement wastes energy and strains joints.

To fix these issues, incorporate form drills and strength training into your running routine.

4. How to Improve Running Form with Drills?

Drills help reinforce proper movement patterns and activate key muscle groups. Add these to your warm-ups or off-day sessions:

High Knees: Builds cadence and strengthens hip flexors.
Butt Kicks: Promotes heel lift and hamstring activation.
A-Skips: Trains leg drive and foot placement.
Arm Swings: Isolates upper body coordination.
Strides (Accelerations): Reinforces relaxed, fast running mechanics.

Try doing 2–3 sets of each drill before your run. These exercises prepare your neuromuscular system and improve muscle memory.

5. Strength Training for Better Form

Strong core, hips, glutes, and hamstrings are the foundation of efficient running. Incorporate these exercises 2–3 times a week:

Planks and Side Planks – Improves core stability.
Lunges and Squats – Builds leg strength and balance.
Glute Bridges – Activates the glutes, which power your stride.
Deadlifts – Strengthens the posterior chain.

These workouts reduce imbalances and help you maintain form during the later stages of Borneo International Marathon 2025.

A marathon runner doing glute bridge exercises to strengthen hips and improve form. — *Strength training supports proper form and helps maintain posture during long runs.*

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6. Shoes, Cadence, and Terrain: Supporting Good Form

Choose the Right Shoes

Wearing the wrong type of shoe can cause discomfort and change your natural stride. Visit a specialty store to get a gait analysis and choose the best shoe for your running style.

Maintain Cadence

Elite runners maintain a high cadence (steps per minute). A cadence of 170–180 helps reduce overstriding and impact. You can use a metronome app or music playlist with beats per minute to match your stride.

Train on Similar Terrain

Train on terrain similar to Borneo International Marathon’s route. Include hill training and long road runs to prepare for elevation changes while maintaining good form throughout.

7. Using Technology to Improve Your Form

Technology can be a great tool for analyzing and correcting form. Use tools like:

Running apps (Strava, Garmin Connect) – Track cadence, stride length, and elevation.
Video analysis – Film your run and watch in slow motion to identify issues.
Wearable sensors (like Stryd or RunScribe) – Provide detailed form metrics.

A runner using a smartwatch to review cadence and stride metrics during training. — *Modern running tech helps track and improve running efficiency and technique.*

8. Practicing Good Form on Race Day

When race day arrives, it’s easy to lose form in the excitement. Keep these quick tips in mind during Borneo International Marathon 2025:

Start easy – Don’t sprint out; focus on form and pacing.
Check posture every 5 km—reset your shoulders and arms.
Use aid stations to reset: Walk briefly, drink, stretch, and restart with intention.
Breathe rhythmically – Keep breath controlled and avoid shallow chest breathing.
Stay relaxed – Tension wastes energy. Smile, enjoy the run, and loosen up.

9. Long-Term Benefits of Running with Good Form

Once proper form becomes second nature, you’ll notice:

Reduced injury and faster recovery
Improved pace and endurance
More enjoyable, efficient running
Confidence on any terrain or race condition

Whether you’re tackling the 10K, half, or full marathon at Borneo International Marathon 2025, efficient form is your secret weapon for a better experience.

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Conclusion: Form is Your Foundation for Marathon Success

You don’t need to be a professional to run with great form, you just need awareness, practice, and consistency. The journey to the Borneo International Marathon 2025 starts now. Begin each training run with intention, focus on mechanics, and build the habits that will carry you across the finish line safely and strong.

Ready to Run Smarter?

🏃‍♂️ Register now for Borneo International Marathon 2025 and commit to running with better form and purpose.
🔧 Start your form-fix journey today and feel the difference by race day.
📍 Visit www.borneomarathon.com to sign up, find training plans, and get race updates.