The Balanced Runner – Improve your running with Paul Mackinnon

Running technique coach Paul Mackinnon (The Balanced Runner) unpacks why most runners “force outcomes” (cadence, foot strike, knee drive) instead of changing the inputs that actually reshape movement. Paul explains his top-down approach—starting at the arms and torso to influence what happens below—so athletes can reduce ground contact time, improve rhythm, and shift along the continuum from rehab to performance.

Across an engaging conversation in episode 374 of The Physical Performance Show, with hosts Brad Beer and Huw Darnell, Paul challenges the idea that “technique doesn’t matter,” arguing that how you move determines how you load. He distinguishes economy from efficiency, shows why arm swing and thoracic control set the timing for the legs, and shares practical cues to build self-awareness, symmetry, and lift—without derailing training volume. Clinicians and athletes alike will gain a clearer roadmap for translating S&C work to the road, coaching more effectively, and making durable technique change.

To Follow Paul Mackinnon (The Balanced Runner):
Website: TBrunner.com
Instagram: @thebalancedrunner

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TIMELINE:

00:00 Forcing outcomes: the #1 running mistake

03:19 Inputs over outcomes; changing the whole system without losing training

04:32 Knee drive, ground time, and why top-down coaching works

07:28 Midline crossover: finding the true driver of the pattern

09:35 Physics → biomechanics → the individual: three coaching silos

11:11 Do mechanics matter? Why the debate misses the point

14:11 Lessons from swimming: skill, workload, and injury risk

16:27 Breaking-2 insight: efficiency beating raw physiology

18:09 Economy vs efficiency; cost per step explained

21:07 Two paths to change: full-pattern reset vs detailed top-down

23:05 New-way/old-way contrasts to build self-awareness

26:06 Feel, timing, rhythm: enlarging the athlete’s “sweet spot”

32:29 What good running looks like: rhythm, symmetry, flight

36:37 Coaching language, listening, and athlete buy-in

43:22 Mental health: running as a lifeline

44:43 Humerus–femur coupling: why arms and thighs must sync

49:17 Simple buy-in: reduce ground time & ground reaction force

50:18 Paul’s top three: Awareness • Symmetry • Lift

52:50 Why S&C often doesn’t transfer—and how to fix it

59:35 One piece of advice: self-awareness—know where you are now

1:00:27 Listener Challenge: film your running, build your baseline

LISTEN IN AS WE DELVE INTO THE FOLLOWING:

• The #1 mistake runners make: forcing outcomes vs changing inputs
• Why technique, capacity, and rehab are independent—but interlinked—puzzle pieces
• The injury ↔ performance continuum and coaching before athletes break
• Top-down mechanics: how arms/torso shape leg action and knee drive
• Midline “tight-rope” running: finding the driver (ribcage, arms, rotation)
• Physics → biomechanics → individual: the three silos that govern change
• “You can’t outrun physics”: mechanics as applied physics, not opinion
• Efficiency vs economy: cost per step, flight time, ground contact time
• Why research lags coaching—and what to change (and not change) first
• Translating S&C and plyos to running: when good gym work fails to show up
• Coaching language, storytelling, and athlete-led awareness (new vs old way)
• Rhythm vs being rhythmic: symmetry, timing, and longer flight
• Mental health, identity, and why running is a lifeline for many athletes
• Three practical cues: Awareness • Symmetry • Get off the ground
• The week’s challenge: Film your running and build an honest baseline

QUOTES:

“You can’t outrun physics.”

“How you move determines how you load.”

“Stop forcing outcomes—change the inputs.”

“Awareness, symmetry, get off the ground. Every step costs—know what you’re paying for.”

PEOPLE MENTIONED:

Ellie Salthouse – Triathlete

Enda King – Hip & groin specialist (Aspetar)

Rich Willy – Running biomechanics researcher

Alec McKenzie, Stephen Doohig – Swimming biomechanics researchers

Jenny Alcorn – Triathlon coach (historical reference)

THE TEAM:

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Your Hosts: 
🏃 Brad Beer – Instagram & X @Bradbeer and YouTube on  @PogophysioAu  
💪 Huw Darnell – Exercise Physiologist & Performance Coach : YouTube: ⁨@huwdarnell⁩ & Instagram @huwdarnell

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