James Dunne turns running form into a few coachable checkpoints. Here's how to fix a client's gait on film.
Most runners have fixable inefficiencies - they just get told to "run more" instead of coached. James Dunne of Kinetic Revolution breaks form into a handful of checkpoints - posture, cadence, where the foot lands, arm carriage, relaxation - you can drill and re-check on video. This breakdown covers his approach in our own words, adds our take for coaching gait online, and keeps the change-gradually and refer-injuries-out lines exactly where they belong.
By Markus Evers · September 2026 · a Coachway video breakdown
the short version
Dunne's case is that running form is a coachable skill with a few high-value checkpoints - upright posture with a slight lean, a quick enough cadence, the foot landing under the body rather than reaching out in front, and relaxed arms and shoulders - best fixed one at a time on video. The one thing a coach should do about it: stop leaving form to chance, film the client's gait, and coach posture and overstriding first - changing one thing at a time, gradually, and referring any pain or injury to a physio rather than treating it as a form problem.
James Dunne - 5 Easy Steps to Fix Your Running Form
Source: James Dunne on YouTube - "5 Easy Steps to Fix Your Running Form". Watch on YouTube. We embed the public video and summarise it in our own words; the video, title and channel belong to James Dunne / Kinetic Revolution, and nothing here implies his endorsement of Coachway.
Who is James Dunne, and why coaches watch
James Dunne is a running coach and the founder of Kinetic Revolution, one of the most popular resources for running technique and gait among recreational and endurance runners. With a background in sports rehabilitation, his content focuses on the mechanics of running form and the drills that improve it - taught in a clear, checkpoint-by-checkpoint way that self-coached runners and coaches can actually apply. Coaches watch him because most runners are never taught to run, and a little competent form coaching is a large, cheap improvement. This "fix your running form" breakdown is a clean example of that checkpoint approach, which is the lens this page is written for.
What Dunne actually argues (our summary)
This is our summary of the ideas in the video, in our own words - not a transcript. Watch the original for his exact framing and demonstrations.
- 1
Run tall, lean from the ankles. Upright posture with a slight whole-body lean - not bent at the waist - sets up everything else in the stride.
- 2
Quicken the cadence. Slightly faster, lighter steps reduce overstriding and heavy landings - usually the highest-value single change.
- 3
Land under the body. Bring the footstrike closer to under the hips rather than reaching out front - overstriding brakes every step and adds impact.
- 4
Carry the arms cleanly. A relaxed, efficient arm swing helps rhythm and balance - flailing or crossing arms leaks energy and rotation.
- 5
Stay relaxed. Loose shoulders, hands and face - tension anywhere costs energy and stiffens the stride for no benefit.
Coachway's take
We like this because running form is chronically under-coached - most runners are handed a training plan and left to run however they happen to run. A few competent checkpoints, coached patiently, can make a client more efficient and, in the right cases, take some stress off the tissues that get overloaded. The checkpoint framing is also practical: it gives a coach a clear order to work in rather than a vague "improve your form".
Where we'd add the important nuance: don't over-coach it, and don't chase one universal "perfect" form. Individuals differ, and the biggest wins for recreational runners are usually just posture and not overstriding - so fix those first and leave the fine details unless they're clearly a problem. Change one thing at a time, and progress it gradually, because running is high-repetition and the body needs time to adapt to a new pattern under load. Dumping five cues on a client at once tends to produce a stiff, self-conscious runner, not a better one.
A scope note, because form and injury sit close together. This is running-technique coaching, not injury treatment. Changing cadence or footstrike shifts load, so make changes gradually and back off if something aggravates. Pain, a suspected injury, or a recurring niggle belongs with a physiotherapist or qualified medical professional - a coach refers those out and works within their guidance rather than trying to fix an injury by changing form.
So our version of his approach is: film the client's gait, coach posture and overstriding first, change one checkpoint at a time and progress gradually, keep it individual rather than forcing one ideal style - and keep pain and injuries firmly with a physio.
Film the gait, change one thing at a time
Running-form coaching online is a film-and-drill loop, done patiently. The client sends a gait video from the side at an easy pace, you review it against the checkpoints and pick the single highest-value fix - usually posture or overstriding - and the cue plus its drills live in the workout builder, prescribed on easy runs so the new pattern beds in gradually. Re-filmed gait comes back through the same loop, so you can change one thing at a time and see it take. The checkpoints are Dunne's; the platform keeps the film and the drills together - and keeps any pain a referral, not a rep.
For related technique and endurance context, the companion breakdowns on Stuart McMillan on sprint mechanics and Stephen Seiler on intensity distribution cover fast running and endurance training.
The running-form checklist (film against it, fix one at a time)
A short checklist of the running-form checkpoints in priority order, to review a client's gait film against. Fix posture and overstriding first, change one thing at a time, and progress gradually.
Running-form checklist
| Checkpoint | Aim for | Common fault |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Posture | Tall, slight lean from the ankles | Bending at the waist; slumping |
| 2. Cadence / footstrike | Quicker steps; land under the hips | Overstriding, reaching, heavy landings |
| 3. Arms | Relaxed, efficient swing | Flailing or crossing the midline |
| 4. Relaxation | Loose shoulders, hands, face | Tension stiffening the stride |
| Method | One change at a time, progress gradually | Five cues at once; abrupt change |
How to use it: review a client's gait film top-down, fix posture and overstriding first, and coach one checkpoint at a time on easy runs so the pattern adapts gradually. Keep it individual - don't force one ideal style. Technique coaching only: send pain, a suspected injury or a recurring niggle to a physiotherapist, and coach within their guidance.
RUNNING-FORM CHECKLIST (via Coachway) - film the gait; fix posture + overstriding first; one change at a time - 1. POSTURE -> tall, slight lean from the ankles | fault: bending at the waist; slumping - 2. CADENCE/FOOTSTRIKE -> quicker steps; land under the hips | fault: overstriding, reaching, heavy landings - 3. ARMS -> relaxed, efficient swing | fault: flailing or crossing the midline - 4. RELAXATION -> loose shoulders, hands, face | fault: tension stiffening the stride - METHOD -> one change at a time, progress gradually | fault: five cues at once; abrupt change HOW TO USE: Review a client's gait FILM top-down, fix POSTURE and OVERSTRIDING first, and coach ONE checkpoint at a time on easy runs so the pattern adapts gradually. Keep it individual - do not force one ideal style. TECHNIQUE COACHING ONLY: send pain, a suspected injury or a recurring niggle to a physiotherapist or qualified medical professional, and coach within their guidance. Change form gradually - it shifts load.
Coaching running form - FAQ
Can you actually change a runner’s form, or is it fixed?
You can change it - running form is a movement skill, and most runners have inefficiencies that respond to coaching. It won't turn a recreational runner into an elite, and you don't want to force everyone toward one 'perfect' style, but targeted tweaks to posture, cadence and where the foot lands can make running more efficient and, in some cases, reduce injury-driving stress. The key is that changes have to be trained gradually and re-checked, not switched on overnight. Coached patiently, form is one of the more improvable things about a runner; forced abruptly, it can create new problems.
What is the highest-value running-form fix?
For most recreational runners, reducing overstriding - usually by nudging cadence up - is the biggest single lever. Overstriding means the foot lands well out in front of the body, which acts as a brake on every step and increases impact. Taking slightly quicker, lighter steps tends to bring the foot down closer to under the hips, cutting that braking and softening the landing. Good upright posture supports it, and relaxed arms and shoulders stop tension leaking into the stride. Fix posture and overstriding first; the finer details matter less until those are handled.
How do you coach running form with an online client?
It's a film-and-drill loop. The client records their run from the side (and ideally at a consistent, comfortable pace), you analyse the gait against the key points - posture, cadence, where the foot lands, arm carriage, tension - and pick the one or two things costing the most. Then you prescribe cues and drills, have them practise on easy runs, and re-film to compare. Change one thing at a time and progress gradually, because the body needs time to adapt to a new pattern under repetitive load. The coaching lives in accurate video analysis and patient, one-change-at-a-time prescription.
Is changing running form safe, and what about running injuries?
Handled sensibly, gradual form work is fine, but it has to be treated with respect because running is high-repetition and the body needs time to adapt - changing cadence or footstrike too aggressively can shift load somewhere new and cause its own issues. So change one thing at a time, progress slowly, and back off if something aggravates. And to be clear about scope: this is running-technique coaching, not injury treatment. Pain, a suspected injury, or a recurring niggle is a matter for a physiotherapist or qualified medical professional, and a coach refers those out and works within their guidance rather than trying to 'fix' an injury by changing form.
More technique and endurance breakdowns
- · Stuart McMillan on sprint mechanics - the fast, technical end of running.
- · Brenton Ford on freestyle technique - another visual, film-and-drill skill.
- · The full library: fitness creator coaching breakdowns.
Coach movement as a skill
all guidesStuart McMillan on Sprint Mechanics (Coach Breakdown)
Stuart McMillan (ALTIS) on linear sprint mechanics, broken down for coaches: coach the phases of a sprint and the late-acceleration transition from drive to upright max velocity as a teachable technical skill - not just 'run faster'.
Read the guideBrenton Ford on Freestyle Swimming Technique (Coach Breakdown)
Brenton Ford (Effortless Swimming) on freestyle technique, broken down for coaches: reduce drag through body position first, then rotation, catch and a relaxed recovery - swimming coached as a skill via film and drills, not just conditioning.
Read the guideStephen Seiler on Polarized Endurance Training (Coach Breakdown)
Dr. Stephen Seiler's polarized (80/20) endurance model, broken down for coaches: keep most work genuinely easy, make the hard work truly hard, and audit a client's intensity split instead of just adding volume.
Read the guideFree tools for this: Race Time Predictor · Beep Test Calculator · Running Pace Calculator
Coach running, don't just prescribe miles
Running form is visual, so online it lives in a patient film-and-drill loop. In Coachway the client sends a gait video, you prescribe one change and its drills in the workout builder, then re-film to see it take. Start your 14-day free trial and coach the stride, not just the mileage - and keep injuries with the physio.
