Running has experienced an incredible surge in popularity over the past few years. Whether it’s parkrun on a Saturday morning, preparing for the City2Surf, or training for a marathon, more Australians than ever are lacing up their shoes and hitting the pavement.
With over 90,000 participants in the 2025 City2Surf alone, it’s clear that running isn’t just a trend—it’s become a lifestyle.
While running offers enormous benefits for cardiovascular health, mental wellbeing, bone strength, weight management and healthy ageing, many runners eventually encounter the same problem: injury, or the feeling that they’ve reached a performance plateau.
So, what’s the secret to running further, faster and with fewer injuries?
Increasingly, research points to one answer: strength training.
Many runners worry that lifting weights will make them bulky or leave them too sore to run. In reality, appropriately prescribed strength training can improve the way your body performs with every stride.
Running performance is influenced by three main factors:
- VO₂ max – how much oxygen your body can use during intense exercise.
- Lactate threshold – how efficiently your muscles continue working as they fatigue.
- Running economy – how much energy your body uses to maintain a given pace.
Of these three, strength training has its biggest effect on running economy. In simple terms, a stronger runner uses less energy to maintain the same speed, making running feel easier and allowing them to perform better over longer distances.
Emerging research has also challenged the traditional idea that runners should only perform light, high-repetition exercises. Recent studies suggest that lifting heavier loads—around 85–90% of your maximum effort for approximately 4–6 repetitions—can produce greater improvements in running economy than lighter resistance training. While every runner’s program should be individualised, the evidence increasingly supports incorporating heavy strength work into a well-balanced training plan.
Of course, not every runner should perform the same exercises. Your injury history, running experience, mobility and training goals all influence which muscles need the most attention and how often you should strength train.
This is where a physiotherapist can make a real difference.
A physiotherapist can assess your running mechanics, identify strength deficits, and design a personalised program that complements your running schedule—whether you train at home or in the gym. The right program not only helps improve performance but can also reduce the likelihood of common running injuries before they interrupt your training.
Meet Tim
Tim came to our clinic to see our running physiotherapist, Cameron, after developing left knee pain while increasing his training for an upcoming half marathon. The pain had been bothering him for three months and was starting to affect both his training and confidence.
After a thorough assessment, Cameron identified a combination of factors contributing to Tim’s symptoms, including his running mechanics and cadence (steps per minute). Rather than asking Tim to stop running, we kept him training by carefully modifying his workload while improving his running technique.
The result? Tim not only completed the HOKA Half Marathon pain-free, but also achieved a personal best time of 1:44:38.
At Lane Cove Physiotherapy, we help runners of all abilities—from those preparing for their first 5 km event to experienced marathoners chasing a new personal best. Cameron combines evidence-based physiotherapy with a passion for running to help people overcome injuries, improve performance, and stay doing what they love.
Whether you’re dealing with an injury, training for your next event, or simply want to run more comfortably and efficiently, Cameron is here to help keep you moving.
If you’d like a running assessment or a personalised strength program, book in online or call (02) 9428 5772.
