Downhill Running: How to Conquer Technical Terrain with Confidence

If you’ve ever found yourself clenching your jaw and tiptoeing down a rocky trail while other runners fly past you with ease, you are not alone. Running downhill on technical terrain can feel intimidating. Shit… it can even be downright dangerous. But with the right mindset, technique, and training, it can become one of the most efficient and fun parts of your trail game. Yes, I said efficient and yes, I said fun.

You always here that story about someone flying down the downhill terrain but you can not bring yourself to do the same. You get to the steep section and slow down. Staring directly at your feet with your legs shaking under you - it happens to most of us.

Here are the top strategies to help you overcome the fear, build confidence, and move more efficiently on even the gnarliest descents.

Embrace the Flow, Not Fear

The first step is mental. I know it sounds crazy but it is literally all in your head. YOU are holding yourself back from gliding down the terrain. You are not along. We all do this. We all create this huge amount of fear about downhill running. Fear is your body’s way of saying, “I’m not sure what’s happening.” We put that fear inside our head and put a halt in the flow of going down the terrain. Instead of trying to control every step, aim to flow with the terrain. Think of it like dancing—stiffness will trip you up, but rhythm and responsiveness will keep you upright.

Start on moderate descents, allow yourself to relax, and get super comfortable in the moderate descents. Then gradually build toward more technical terrain. Taking your time to build the confidence you need!

Shorten Your Stride and Have Quick Feet

Long, bounding strides might look cool, but they’ll quickly lead to a crash on rocky or rooty trails. Instead, keep your steps short and quick, landing lightly and maintaining a high cadence.

Imagine your feet are “tapping” the trail rather than “stomping” it. This gives you more control and lets you respond to obstacles more efficiently. This can be so helpful and allow you to catch yourself incase you do slip up and almost fall. The shorter steps allow you to move quickly and effectively. This will lessen the chance of a bad fall!

Scan Ahead and Stop Staring Down at Your Feet

This is one of the most common mistakes! Watching your feet does a couple things. First you causes you to be obsessing on your feet and what they are doing. This is the least of your worries. You need to be looking up and scanning the terrain in front of you. Looking down at your feet can also lead to you breaking while running. This is because you are typically leaning back a little.

Instead, keep your eyes focused about 10–15 feet ahead, scanning the trail for rocks, dips, and roots. Let your peripheral vision manage the ground right beneath you and TRUST your feet! They have been holding you up for years… why stop trusting them now?

This forward-looking strategy helps you anticipate rather than react - this is a game changer.

Find the right amount of ‘Lean’ For YOU

This can be tricky but is another game changer once you have it dialed in!

Find the sweet spot for you when running downhill. Most people find that if you lean forward a little (NOT too much), you can flow down the trails. A big mistake people do is lean back really far or lean forward too much. Leaning back will cause you to put the breaks on as mentioned. You do NOT want to be breaking will running!

Flowing down the trails is the goal!

But also be very careful not to lean too far forward. This could cause you to fall flat on your face… Straight up belly flop - NOT GOOD.

I have noticed the spot for everyone in the lean is different but I do notice it is a slight forward lean to give you that nice little push to flow down the trails!

Strengthen the Right Muscles

Downhill running is a full-body workout, but your quads and ankles take the biggest hit. Strong quads absorb the impact of every descent and trust me… you want to strengthen those quads!

Not to mention stable ankles help you adjust to uneven footing without rolling or tweaking the ankle. Strengthening your ankles can give you the confidence to trust you footing too.

Incorporate strength training into your routine. They do not have to be hard/extravagant workouts. Simple things like step-downs, step-ups, eccentric squats, lunges, jump roping and single-leg balance drills will make a huge difference.

Practice the Way You Race

Just like anything else in training, practice what you will be using and doing in the race. You won’t become a better descender by avoiding hills. Make technical downhills a regular part of your training—not just the “fun” days. If you can, try to simulate the terrain and elevation you plan to race on.

Start small and controlled, then work your way up to steeper, more technical terrain as your confidence grows.

Use Your Arms for Balance

Believe it or not, your arms are part of your balance system. Have you seen those crazy mountain runners flying down the terrain with their arms in the arm. Flying all over the place! Thats because it helps you stay balanced.

Let them move freely! Allow them to swing all around - out to the side or even in front of you as needed. Don’t hold them tight or swing rigidly. Picture yourself as an airplane gliding down the hill, making micro-adjustments as you go.

Gear Matters

Having the proper gear can help you in those tough situations in races. Not only in downhill training but in the entire race! So do your research and find gear that can help you. For downhill terrain the shoes and tread you have can make a difference.

Trail shoes with aggressive tread and sticky rubber are a must for technical descents. But that doesn’t mean this will 100% prevent you from slipping on loose gravel/rocks out on the trail. But you should try a few different brands to find the shoe you like! Your shoes should feel secure and you should not be worried about the shoes on race day!

Alos, if you're tackling some really gnarly trails, consider gaiters or even poles for added control. Gaiters could of made my Javelina race a whole different race - IYKYK. And poles can be a huge help to tackling the downhill terrain, but you also need to practice using your poles!

Relax the Body and Commit - You Can DO IT!

A tense runner is a slow (and likely sore) runner. Let go of tension in your jaw, shoulders, and arms. Relax the whole body! At the same time, commit to your foot placements and trust your feet. Half-hearted steps or hesitation often lead to slips.

Technical Downhills Are a Skill, Not a Talent

The best downhill runners aren’t just fearless. They have practiced. A lot. They’ve fallen, tweaked ankles, and gotten back up again. You don’t need to be reckless to run technical downhills well. You just need to be prepared and patient with yourself.

The more you practice, the more you’ll trust your body. And soon, those rocky, rooty downhills will go from dreaded to delightful.

Confidence is built through practice. Not only practice here and there. It is enough practice to feel confident. Being fully confident in tackling downhill terrain is HUGE in ultra running. You cannot expect for this skill to come easy or overnight. It will take time - just like everything else in life.

The more patient you are with the process, the more rewarding the final result will be.

You can do this! I know you can.

Huge shoutout to the Everyday Ultra Athlete (Anurag) who reached out asking for some help with this topic. I figured it was a perfect topic to share and it was about time to write a new blog. So here it is for everyone to reach!

Are you wondering about another topic or have a question about running? Reach out! I would love to chat and help you.

Liz