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Improve your

Running Technique

Paul MacKinnon – the Balanced Runner – has over a decade of experience working with thousands of runners. The culmination of that experience is a unique system which is here to help you improve your running for performance, injury prevention and enjoyment.

  • Coach of Olympic medallists & national record holders

Online Running Technique Program

The online program is built from insights from working with thousands of runners. An exclusive video series that takes you step-by-step through how to improve your running, giving you access to one of the world’s leading technique coaches at your fingertips.

In Person Coaching Sessions

Paul is located in Melbourne, Australia and also regularly travels to Queensland to conduct sessions. In addition to the online program, Paul is also available for in-person one-to-one sessions. If you are in Australia, or have an enquiry, please get in touch.

The Balanced Runner philosophy

Why improve your running technique?

Running is a skill and movement pattern that can be learnt and improved, just like a golf swing, football kick or tennis backhand. Better technique pays off in three ways.

Performance

A poor movement pattern can limit your power and speed and bring on fatigue earlier. Moving well lets you run faster for longer.

Injury prevention

A poor movement pattern can result in injury. Small, gradual changes to how you move help you keep running injury free.

Enjoyment

Our cues focus on what you can feel, not outcomes to chase. As your running starts to feel smoother and easier, it becomes more enjoyable too.

Our approach

The Balanced Runner philosophy has been developed over time to allow runners to feel their improvements by focusing on cues and not outcomes. With a top-down approach, starting with the upper body and gradual improvements over time that has been proven to work for hundreds of runners to improve their technique and achieve their goals.

Your coach

In Melbourne, Australia, Paul Mackinnon has developed his reputation as an expert over many years, working with athletes of all levels from beginner through to Olympic Medallists and National Record Holders. We are now excited to be able to bring this expertise to an international audience through the online program to help as many athletes as possible to run faster, injury free and enjoy their running more.

Reviews

Don’t just take our word for it

Feedback from members of the online program and runners who have worked with Paul

See the difference

‘Competitive Runner’

After 10 years of running competitively I’ve never been able to build to more than 30km a week without having shin pain, I’ve had 6 operations in total and I was convinced I’d never run again only 12 months ago. After all of this I’ve finally figured out that I was a massive overstrider/heel striker. Been working with @thebalancedrunner for a month now and can’t believe the difference, can’t wait to be back racing next month 🏃🏼

 

Ash Cowen, In-Person Sessions

‘Landing Position’

Old Way – Top split screen
New Way – Bottom split screen

Break down and highlight of leg position upon landing. Also highlight of landing plays recovery phase leg position.
Kiran has been working towards this over the course of 6 months. This was in our most recent session.

‘Hip Extension’

OLD WAY – NEW WAY

Shown here is the improvement in one session with Genevieve.

❌ At no point did we focus on landing
❌ Cue has no focus on knee lift/drive.

Old way on top and new way on bottom you see how much more extension and therefore flexion is occurring at the hip. This all effects the movements and patterns below. Whilst there is still room for improvement, after one session Genevieve couldn’t feel the load going into her shins anywhere near as much anymore. Slow motion in this video.

Ready to check out the membership?

Articles & tips

Learn more about running technique