Posture is the base the rest of your sprint sits on. At top speed, coaches look for an upright body with your head, neck and shoulders stacked over your hips and your hips held high. Leaning too far forward or sitting low in the hips changes where your force goes and cuts your leg action short. (Posture changes by phase: you lean forward when you accelerate and rise to tall at top speed. This lesson covers the upright, top-speed position.)
Stack tall
Run tall: stack your head, neck and shoulders directly over your hips. At top speed you should be close to upright. A slight forward lean is fine; more than that tips the whole body forward.
as tall as you stand, just moving fast.
Keep your hips high and lead with your belt buckle. Don't let your hips sit back and low, and don't lean back to get tall.
hips pressed up and in, belt buckle out front.
Hold your pelvis level, not tipped forward. If your hips tilt forward, your back arches and your stride shortens.
Brace and relax
Stay relaxed with no extra tension. Keep your shoulders low, steady and square, with no twisting. Let your face and hands stay loose.
a steady trunk with loose shoulders.
Neutral head
Keep your head in line with your spine: eyes forward, chin in, head steady. Don't drop your head to look at your feet, and don't throw it back.
a long neck, level gaze, head quiet on top of your shoulders.
Feel it
Tall and light. Your hips feel high, your legs have room to lift and step down under you, and your shoulders and face stay loose. If you are used to leaning forward, running tall can feel at first like leaning back. Hold the same tall shape all the way through the run, even as you tire.
Fix-its
- You lean too far forward at top speed Cue "stand up" or "run tall" and stack your shoulders over your hips. A slight lean is fine; a big one tips the whole body forward.
- You sit low in the hips Lift your hips and lead with your belt buckle. Low hips restrict your leg action and make you heavy and slow.
- Your hips tip forward and your back arches Bring your pelvis back to level and think "hips high and in." Core strength work helps you hold it.
- You lean back to get tall Tall means stacked, not tilted back. Keep your shoulders over your hips, not behind them.
- Your head drops or your shoulders tense up Eyes forward, chin in, head in line with your spine. Drop and relax your shoulders and keep your face loose.
Drill
- Warm up first. Put these drills into your warm-up, before any fast running.
- Walking high knees: march tall with high hips, head in line, shoulders relaxed. Go slow enough to hold the shape every step.
- Running high knees and skips: same tall stack and high hips at a faster rhythm.
- Build-up runs: accelerate gradually and rise smoothly to tall, then hold the tall shape for a few strides at near top speed.
- Film from the side at top speed and check that your head, shoulders and hips line up and your hips aren't sitting low.
Sources
- ALTIS (Dustin Imdieke) — Upright Sprinting (2015)
- Athletics Ireland — Run Jump Throw Series: Sprints, Running Technique Posture (2025)
- Surf Life Saving SA — Beach Sprinting Coaching Manual, 5th Edition
- Haugen, Seiler, Sandbakk & Tønnessen — The Training and Development of Elite Sprint Performance, Sports Medicine – Open (2019)
Last checked 2026-10-25.