Whether you’re new to running or looking to master your craft, AnyQuestion’s panel of Olympian and World Champion Track and Field athletes are here to help you improve. Learn about training plans, race strategy and sport specific nutrition from verified experts like Meb Keflezighi, Michael Johnson and Gail Devers.


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Michael Johnson is one of the greatest sprinters of all time, and in the 1990s he dominated the 200m and 400m, going undefeated in the latter for seven years. Born in Dallas in 1967, he studied at Baylor University and was spotted by coach Clyde Hart. After gaining a degree, he committed to full-time athletics and in 1991 won the 200m world title. Sadly, food poisoning denied him individual success at the Barcelona Olympics, but he helped the US 4x400m relay team to gold. From 1993, Johnson went undefeated in the 400m for 58 races and in 1996 achieved the 200m-400m double at the Atlanta Olympics, setting world records in both. He retired in 2001 having won 8 world and 4 Olympic gold medals.

Deena Kastor is an American long-distance runner and 8-time national cross country champion. She was the holder of American records in the marathon (2006-2022) and numerous road distances. At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, she won the bronze medal in the women's marathon. She ran collegiately for the University of Arkansas, coached by Joe Vigil and Terrence Mahon, and post-collegiately coached by husband Andrew Kastor. Kastor has earned two silver medals in the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, and holds U.S. records in the women's road 10 mile, 15K, and 8K. She formerly held the women's marathon, half marathon, 10,000m, and road 5K records. Kastor has won multiple awards, including the Jesse Owens Award, USATF Runner of the Year (2001, 2003, 2004, and 2008), and C.C. Jackson Award. She has been inducted into the New York, National, and Southern California Jewish Sports Halls of Fame.

2016 Olympic 1500 meter Gold Medalist 
2016 World Indoor Champion 
3x Olympian 
7x US Champion 

Keturah Orji, known as KO, is a two-time Olympian and one of the world's rising stars in track and field. She is credited with leading a new era of excellence in the American triple jump. KO has also worked to advance access to opportunities for women of color. She is the first American since 1974 to win more than six consecutive U.S. titles in the outdoor triple jump and was the first American woman to qualify for two consecutive Olympic finals in the triple jump. Her mission is to show people that they can accomplish great things regardless of their background or looks. To carry out her mission, she created Amara's Pride, a mentorship program for girls. The program aims to provide young girls with access to successful women they can look up to, helping them envision themselves succeeding in their own lives. KO is currently a professional triple jumper and long jumper and trains in Atlanta, GA.

Gail Devers is an American retired track and field sprinter. She won gold at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics in the 100m, making her the second woman to defend an Olympic 100m title. She was also the 1993, 1997 and 2004 world indoor champion in the 60m, 2003 world indoor champion in the 60m hurdles, and 1993, 1995 and 1999 world champion in the 100m hurdles. In 2011, she was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.

Frank Shorter made history as the first American in 64 years to win the Olympic marathon at the 1972 Games in Munich, his birthplace. He won the NCAA 6-mile run for Yale in 1969 and the 10,000-meter and marathon at the 1971 Pan American Games. He won gold at the 1972 Olympics and silver at the 1976 Olympics. After retiring, he founded a sportswear company, worked as a commentator, and was involved in sports administration. He left an indelible mark on distance running and represented the US with distinction.

Meb Keflezighi is an Olympic Marathoner, best-selling author and co-founder of 26. He is the only runner to win the New York City Marathon, the Boston Marathon and an Olympic medal. Meb's "Run To Win" philosophy encourages runners to prioritize their own wellness. He is a highly regarded keynote speaker and global ambassador for running.

Aliphine is a world class athlete from Kenya who moved to the US to pursue public health science. She won four USATF titles in 2017, was 15th at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships and won the US Half Marathon Championships in 2018. She was fourth at the USATF Cross Country Champs in 2019 and third at the Rotterdam Marathon in 2:26:50, a PB. In 2020, she won the Olympic Trials Marathon in 2:27:23, becoming the team's first Olympian. In 2021, she was forced to drop out of the Olympics due to an injury. In 2022, she won the USATF 25k Champs and was 7th at the TCS NYC Marathon, setting a PB of 2:26:18. She is a 14x All American, a double runner-up at the NCAA 10k and holds multiple school records.

Warm up before Mi our out 20 minute, jog. Come back. I usually go to the bathroom, start doing some drills, like walking drills, Dynamic, flexibility. And then I start implementing some strides right after that. I like to kind of, at least try to do a stride, like every 5 or 10 minutes kind of stay warm. That's like the biggest thing. I think a lot of times people finish warm-ups and then they kind of cool off. You want to kind of keep. Moving keep kind of a sweat going a little bit and then I start doing a little bit more like static stretching. I guess closer to race. Like while you're like waiting in the call rooms and getting close. But I like to do longer strides like half an hour out and then kind of start to shorten them up a little bit and make them quicker as you get closer to the race time.

I usually start with a 20 minute jog and then do some walking drills and dynamic stretches. Afterwards, I like to do some strides every 5 or 10 minutes so that I stay warm. As I get closer to the race time, I shorten my strides and make them quicker.

What is your warm up before a mile/ 1500m race?

Race Ready: Dynamic warm-up, strides, and staying warm for optimal performance.

Before a mile or 1500m race, my warm-up routine typically consists of a 20-minute jog. After returning, I take a bathroom break and then proceed to do walking drills and dynamic flexibility exercises. Following that, I incorporate strides into my warm-up, aiming to do them every 5 or 10 minutes to maintain warmth and keep my body moving. It's important not to cool off after finishing the warm-up.

As the race approaches, I transition to more static stretching, especially while waiting in the call rooms. About half an hour before the race, I like to do longer strides, gradually shortening and quickening them as the race time draws near. This helps me prepare both physically and mentally for the upcoming race.

So this is probably one of the questions I get most. It's about my running style and why I ran so upright. So it was my natural way of running. I ran that way since I was a kid. And other kids would make fun of me and say, you run funny. And I would say-- I would make fun of them back and say, you run slow, because I was always faster than them. And it was just the way that I ran. But ultimately, through some high speed film footage and data that we collect, that we found that my running style was actually much more efficient and much more beneficial to me than anyone had known before. My coach and I then just used what we found to really enhance my running style and take advantage of it. The real advantage of it is with the more upright I was running, the more I was able to produce more force into the ground, and force into the ground equals power and speed, which is critical for a sprinter.

I ran upright because it was my natural style, and it ended up being more efficient than anyone had known before. My coach and I used what we found to enhance my running style, as the more upright I was running, the more power and speed I was able to produce.

Can you explain why you ran upright?  What was the benefit for you?

Unconventional Upright Running Style: Unveiling the Power and Speed Advantage

One of the most common questions I receive is about my running style and why I ran so upright. It was actually my natural way of running, something I've done since I was a kid. Other kids would tease me, saying I ran funny, but I would respond by teasing them back, saying they ran slow because I was always faster. It was just my unique running style.

However, through high-speed film footage and data analysis, we discovered that my running style was actually more efficient and beneficial than previously thought. My coach and I used this information to further optimize my running style and capitalize on its advantages.

The main benefit of my upright running style was that it allowed me to generate more force into the ground. More force into the ground translates to increased power and speed, which are crucial for a sprinter. This discovery helped me enhance my performance and achieve better results on the track.

Sam, that's a great question. And I'll tell you a funny story. When I went to go get my prosthetic leg, my process was like, OK, you just have to trust the blade. It's going to be there. You just have to trust it. So I was like, all right, that's fine. I'm just going to go take off. And it's going to do what it's supposed to do. And it did, which was surprising for me. And it felt fairly natural. And so I was super excited. I took it. I went home. I'm like, Dad, let's go out for a run, haven't been able to run for years. We get to go do this thing. And so we get out, get down the driveway. And we're jogging down the road. And in our mind, we're going to go for 20-, 30-minute jog. And I get 3 minutes down the road. And I can barely pick my leg up off the ground. I'm so fatigued. I'm out of shape. My muscles aren't used to working in that way. The blade took a lot of time getting used to. And so we ended up turning around and having to walk back to the house. And halfway there, we called mom. I was like, just come and grab us. This is not what we expected. But that was it. That was the beauty of the journey, right? It started off. And it was really difficult. But now I would say that when I run on prosthetic, if you see me sprint and you see me just from my hips up, you don't know that I have a prosthetic on. And so it's been a long journey and 10 or 11 years of training to get to that point. But yeah, at the beginning, it was tough. [CHUCKLES]

When I got my prosthetic leg, I was excited to go for a jog but quickly realized I was way out of shape and had to turn around and walk back. Now, after years of training, I'm able to sprint without anyone knowing I have a prosthetic.

How difficult was it to learn to run with a prosthetic leg?

From Frustration to Triumph: Learning to Run with a Prosthetic Leg

Learning to run with a prosthetic leg had its challenges, but it also had its funny moments. When I first got my prosthetic leg, I was told to trust the blade and believe that it would do what it's supposed to do. So, with that in mind, I took off running and surprisingly, it felt fairly natural.

Filled with excitement, I convinced my dad to join me for a run. We started jogging down the road, thinking we would go for a 20-30 minute jog. However, after just 3 minutes, I realized how fatigued I was. My muscles weren't used to working in that way, and I struggled to lift my leg off the ground. It was a humbling experience, and we ended up turning around and walking back home. We even had to call my mom to come and pick us up halfway.

But that was the beauty of the journey. It started off difficult, but it was a learning process. Over the course of 10 or 11 years of training, I gradually adapted to running with a prosthetic leg. Now, if you see me sprinting, you wouldn't even know I have a prosthetic leg from my hips up. It's been a long journey, but the initial challenges were worth it for the progress I've made.

My fourth place finish in London didn't really impact my preparation for real too much. Josh, you know, I was still going to be doing the same things had I had I got a bronze I still wouldn't wanted to upgrade my my metal going into Rio. I think for me it probably left me a lot more motivated for the following year. It's kind of hard to ride and have that type of motivation for four long years. So I kind of took it one year at a time. And I did get a little bit of redemption, the following year with with getting a medal and at the world Champs, but obviously in the Olympic medal is, is far greater than a world championship medal. So it just, it just kind of. Yeah there, I wouldn't say it changed me so much as an athlete, but it definitely left me wanting a lot more.

My 4th place finish in London didn't really affect my preparation for Rio, but it motivated me to do better the following year. I was rewarded with a medal at the world championships, although an Olympic medal is greater than a world championship medal.

How did your 4th place finish in London by only 0.04 seconds impact your preparation for Rio in 2016?

Olympic near-miss fuels motivation for Rio redemption.

My fourth place finish in London didn't have a significant impact on my preparation for Rio in 2016. Whether I had won a bronze or not, my focus would still be on improving and aiming for a higher medal in Rio. The fourth place finish actually left me more motivated for the following year. It's challenging to maintain that level of motivation for four long years, so I took it one year at a time. I did find some redemption the next year by winning a medal at the World Championships, but an Olympic medal holds greater significance. It didn't change me as an athlete, but it definitely fueled my desire for more success.

Bring it good question. I would recommend scaling your mileage very gradually. Except where you are right now, understand where it is that you want to go. And more importantly, why you want to get to that certain mileage? How is it going to benefit you from a training standpoint? And realizing that there's no benefit in rushing to that total whatever you saw. I would start, first, by increasing the frequency of your run so that's going to help bring up your overall mileage. So if you're running three or four days a week, gradually bring it up to five to six. Slowly start tacking miles on to those runs five, 10 minutes at a time, spread that out throughout the week. And then eventually, start to increase the duration of your long run. Be really careful with that. So the last thing you want to do is add too much on it. Once be running with poor mechanics toward the end, and then therefore, not getting all the benefits that you should.

Gradually increase running frequency and duration to safely reach desired mileage, being mindful of proper running mechanics.

How quickly do you recommend a runner scales their weekly mileage?

Running smart: Gradual mileage increase for optimal training

When it comes to scaling your weekly mileage as a runner, I recommend taking a gradual approach. Start by assessing your current mileage and determining your desired goal. Understand why you want to reach that specific mileage and how it will benefit your training.

Avoid rushing to reach your target mileage as there is no benefit in doing so. Instead, focus on increasing the frequency of your runs. If you currently run three or four days a week, gradually add an extra day or two to bring it up to five or six days. Slowly increase the distance of your runs by adding five or ten minutes at a time, spreading it out throughout the week.

Be cautious when increasing the duration of your long runs. Avoid adding too much mileage too quickly, as it can lead to poor running mechanics and prevent you from reaping the full benefits of your training. Take your time and allow your body to adapt gradually.

Okay, one of the most important things as a coach is not force your athlete into your system to survive, but work your system around the athlete. With that said, I do not advocate pushing or pulling, and I'll tell you why. First of all, there's no exact way to run. Heel striking, midfoot striking, pushing, pulling, there are so many different ways, and people have been successful in all of these. I care more about where their foot lands, whether it lands under them or just slightly ahead of them. But normally beginners are over striding or heel striking, they're reaching out, and sometimes midfoot strikers, their body's ahead of their foot. But with that said, be really careful whether you change strides and do not do things drastically. You want to work on things like stability work, your whole body, that will help with your running form. Drills, I favor DanPath sprint drills, it will help both pushing and pulling. Ancillary work, hill sprints, power off the foot, all that kind of stuff. But be really careful changing your stride, and I do think there's a difference between changing an elite stride and changing a novice's stride, because elites have run for a long time and their body gets into a pattern of movement, whereas novices, they haven't gotten there yet. And so pay attention, why are you changing your form? If you're healthy and running well, why are you changing your form? Yes, to get faster. But test this on a treadmill with your oxygen consumption and running economy, and make sure it's not BS.

As a coach, it is important to work your system around the athlete and not force your system onto them. Be careful when changing a runner's stride as there is no exact way to run, but focus on stability, drills and ancillary work such as hill sprints and power off the foot. For elite runners, pay attention to why you are changing their form, while for novice runners make sure they have the correct oxygen consumption and running economy before changing anything.

Do you tell runners to “push” or “pull” themselves forward when cueing about form and drive?

Coaching Insight: The Importance of Individualized Running Form

As a coach, I prioritize adapting my system to fit the needs of each athlete rather than forcing them into a rigid framework. When it comes to cueing about form and drive for runners, I do not specifically advocate for pushing or pulling, and here's why. There is no one exact way to run. Different runners have found success with heel striking, midfoot striking, pushing, pulling, and various other techniques. What matters more to me is where the foot lands - ideally under the runner or slightly ahead of them. Beginners often struggle with overstriding or heel striking, while midfoot strikers may find their body too far ahead of their foot. However, caution should be exercised when making changes to stride. Instead, focus on stability work that engages the entire body and helps improve running form. Incorporate drills like DanPath sprint drills that can benefit both pushing and pulling movements. Ancillary work such as hill sprints can also enhance power off the foot. It's important to be cautious when changing stride patterns, as there's a difference between altering the stride of an elite runner versus that of a novice runner who hasn't established ingrained movement patterns yet. Consider why you are seeking to change your running form. If you're running well and injury-free, ask yourself if the goal is solely about getting faster. Conduct tests on a treadmill to assess factors like oxygen consumption and running economy while ensuring any changes made are meaningful and not based on false claims.