Edited by Ka’eo Kruse, Stryd’s Human Performance Specialist
Running form, Stryd Footpath, and performance metrics are often discussed in isolation — but in reality, they are inseparably linked. Each stride you take is a system of movements that produces measurable outcomes, and understanding this system is the key to unlocking your full potential as a runner.
In this article, you’ll learn how your movement patterns (Form) shape your Stryd Footpath, how those Stryd Footpath visualizations reveal hidden details of your technique, and how both feed directly into the Metrics you track every day. With insights from running technique expert Paul Mackinnon, we’ll show how these three components create a dynamic feedback loop that can help you run more efficiently, prevent injury, and make meaningful progress in your training.
Whether you’re trying to break through a performance plateau, correct recurring inefficiencies, or simply understand how your body moves, this integrated approach will give you the clarity and tools you need to become a smarter, stronger runner.
Meet Paul Mackinnon, The Balanced Runner
My Philosophy on Form: Physics Meets Physiology
What Does Good Form Look Like?
The Hierarchy of Form, Stryd Footpath, and Metrics
Putting the Hierarchy into Practice: Case Studies
I’ve spent the past decade working with runners of every level — from recreational athletes chasing new personal bests to some of the world’s top professionals. Today, I work with National Record holders in both Australia and the United States, including Brett Robinson, Izzi Batt-Doyle, Cam Wurf, Ellie Salthouse, Nico Young, Galen Rupp, Karissa Schweitzer, and Molly Seidel, among many others.
With a background in sports science and teaching, I’ve developed a unique coaching process that blends self-awareness with a top-down approach to movement. My focus is always on improving efficiency — helping athletes make the most of the physics of running while working within their individual capacities.
Through my company, The Balanced Runner (tbrunner.com), I coach athletes in person and through a complete online video series. This method has helped runners succeed across every distance — from 400 meters on the track to ultramarathons — and even in team sports where repeated sprinting and change-of-direction are key.
At the heart of my coaching is a simple joy: seeing athletes recognize improvement in real time. There’s nothing more rewarding than watching someone feel the difference that efficient movement makes — not just in performance, but in the sheer enjoyment of running.
No matter who you are — tall or short, new to the sport or a seasoned veteran — you can’t outrun physics. Running is always governed by three constants: gravity, your center of mass, and a distance you’re covering. These never change.