Running Terms
This glossary defines non-branded running terminology: race formats and results, biomechanics and running form, training methods and intensity zones, and the road, track, and weather conditions runners train and race in. Terms that apply across multiple sports, such as lactate threshold and VO2 max, are defined in full on the Sports Sensors glossary page and cross-referenced here. Brick sessions are defined in full on the Triathlon glossary page.
Quick answers
What is age-group placing?
Age-group placing is a runner’s rank within their age and gender category, reported alongside their overall race placing.
What is altitude acclimatization?
Altitude acclimatization is the physiological adjustment process that occurs over days to weeks of exposure to altitude, distinct from altitude training, which is the deliberate practice of training at elevation to prompt that adjustment.
What is altitude training?
Altitude training is training conducted at elevation to stimulate physiological adaptations from reduced oxygen availability.
What is arm carriage?
Arm carriage describes the position and swing pattern of a runner’s arms during the running gait.
What is a bandit runner?
A bandit is a runner who takes part in a race without registering or paying an entry fee.
What is base building?
Base building is a training phase focused on accumulating easy aerobic mileage before adding higher-intensity work.
What is a bib number?
A bib number is the identifying number worn by a runner during a race, used for timing, tracking, and results.
What is a BQ (Boston qualifier)?
A BQ is a finishing time fast enough, for a runner’s age and gender category, to meet the qualifying standard for entry into the Boston Marathon.
What is a brick session?
A brick session combines two disciplines, most commonly cycling followed immediately by running, and is defined in full under Triathlon.
What is a building phase?
A building phase is the specific training block following base building and preceding a taper, in which volume or intensity increases progressively toward peak fitness for a target race.
What is cadence (stride rate)?
Cadence, also called stride rate, is the number of steps a runner takes per minute. See the full breakdown of how Garmin measures cadence.
What is camber (negative camber)?
Camber is the sideways slope of a road surface, usually built in for drainage; negative camber describes a surface that slopes away from its centre on both sides rather than crowning upward.
What is chip time?
Chip time is the elapsed time recorded from when a runner crosses the start mat to when they cross the finish mat, rather than from the official gun start.
What is a chip-timed road race?
A chip-timed road race is a race that uses a timing chip system to record each runner’s individual elapsed time, rather than relying solely on gun time.
What is a corral in a race?
A corral is a designated starting section of a large race, usually assigned by expected finish time or bib number.
What is course certification?
Course certification is official verification that a race course has been accurately measured to its stated distance, a requirement for a performance to count toward records or qualifying standards such as a BQ.
What is a course record?
A course record is the fastest time ever recorded on a specific race course, distinct from a runner’s own personal best.
What is critical speed?
Critical speed is the fastest pace a runner can sustain in a steady state before fatigue accelerates sharply, the running analogue to cycling’s functional threshold power.
What is a cutoff time in running?
A cutoff time is the maximum elapsed time allowed to reach a specific point on a course or to finish the race, beyond which a runner may be pulled from the course.
What is dew point?
Dew point is the temperature at which air becomes saturated with moisture, used alongside humidity to judge running conditions.
What is DNF in running?
DNF means “did not finish” and records a runner who started a race but did not complete it.
What is DNS in running?
DNS means “did not start” and records a registered runner who did not begin the race.
What is dorsiflexion?
Dorsiflexion is the upward movement of the foot toward the shin, used to assess ankle mobility in running form.
What is DQ in running?
DQ means “disqualified” and records a runner removed from the results for breaking a race rule.
What is duty factor?
Duty factor is the ratio of ground contact time to total stride time, a metric used to characterise running style and impact intensity.
What is an easy run?
An easy run is a run completed at a comfortable, conversational effort well below race pace.
What is an elite start?
An elite start is an early or separate starting wave reserved for the fastest registered runners.
What is fartlek?
Fartlek is unstructured interval training that mixes fast and slow running within a single session, without fixed distances or times.
What is flight time in running?
Flight time is the portion of the gait cycle when neither foot is in contact with the ground, the counterpart to ground contact time.
What is foot strike?
Foot strike describes which part of the foot, heel, midfoot, or forefoot, makes first contact with the ground during each stride.
What is gait asymmetry?
Gait asymmetry describes a meaningful difference between the left and right side of a runner’s stride, such as in ground contact time or stride length, often surfaced by running dynamics data.
What is the gait cycle?
The gait cycle is the complete sequence of movement from one foot strike to the next foot strike of the same foot.
What is grade (incline)?
Grade, or incline, is the steepness of a road or trail, expressed as a percentage, distinct from treadmill incline, which refers specifically to a treadmill’s adjustable gradient setting.
What is ground contact time (stance time)?
Ground contact time, also called stance time, is the duration a runner’s foot remains in contact with the ground during each stride. See the full breakdown of ground contact time.
What is ground contact time balance?
Ground contact time balance compares the left and right foot’s ground contact time as a percentage split.
What is gun time?
Gun time is the elapsed time from the official start signal to when a runner crosses the finish line, regardless of how long they took to reach the start line.
What is a heart rate zone?
A heart rate zone is a defined range of heart rate, usually expressed as a percentage of maximum heart rate, used to guide training intensity.
What is heat acclimation?
Heat acclimation is the physiological adaptation process that improves the body’s ability to perform in hot conditions, typically developed through repeated heat exposure during training.
What is heat index?
Heat index is a combined measure of air temperature and humidity that reflects how hot conditions feel to the body.
What are hill repeats?
Hill repeats are a training session structured around repeated efforts up a hill, used to build strength, power, and running economy.
What is humidity?
Humidity is the amount of moisture in the air, a factor that affects a runner’s ability to cool through sweat evaporation.
What is an interval?
An interval is a repeated segment of higher-intensity effort separated by recovery periods within a single workout.
What is lactate threshold?
Lactate threshold is the effort level at which lactate begins to accumulate in the blood faster than the body can clear it, and is defined in full under Sports Sensors.
What is leg stiffness?
Leg stiffness is a measure of how much a runner’s leg compresses and rebounds during ground contact, reflecting the spring-like efficiency of the stride.
What is a long run?
A long run is the longest single run in a training week, typically completed at an easy to moderate effort.
What is LSD (long slow distance)?
LSD stands for long slow distance, a traditional training method built around long runs completed at a low, sustainable effort.
What is a mass start?
A mass start is a single start in which every runner in a race or wave begins at the same time.
What is mileage?
Mileage is the total distance run over a given period, typically measured weekly.
What is a negative split?
A negative split is a race run with the second half completed faster than the first half.
What is a negative split workout?
A negative split workout is a structured session in which the second half is run faster than the first, by design rather than by chance.
What is net time in a race?
Net time is another term for chip time, the elapsed time from when a runner crosses the start mat to when they cross the finish mat.
What is overpronation?
Overpronation is excessive inward rolling of the foot after it strikes the ground.
What is overreaching?
Overreaching is a short-term state of accumulated training fatigue caused by a temporary increase in training load.
What is overstriding?
Overstriding is landing with the foot significantly ahead of the body’s centre of mass, a common running form fault linked to increased braking force and injury risk.
What is overtraining syndrome?
Overtraining syndrome is a prolonged state of physical and performance decline caused by training load that consistently exceeds the body’s capacity to recover.
What is a pace band?
A pace band is a wristband or printed strip showing target split times for each mile or kilometre of a race.
What is a pace zone?
A pace zone is a defined range of running pace, the pace-based counterpart to a heart rate zone, used to guide training intensity.
What is a pacer (rabbit)?
A pacer, also called a rabbit, is a runner assigned to lead a group at a set pace to help others hit a target finish time.
What is a PB (PR)?
PB means “personal best” and PR means “personal record,” two regional terms, British and American respectively, for the same concept: a runner’s fastest recorded time over a given distance.
What is periodization?
Periodization is the structured division of a training plan into phases, each with a different focus or intensity.
What is plantarflexion?
Plantarflexion is the downward movement of the foot away from the shin, the opposite of dorsiflexion, occurring during push-off in the running stride.
What is a progression run?
A progression run starts at an easy pace and gradually increases in speed over its duration.
What is pronation?
Pronation is the natural inward rolling of the foot that occurs after it strikes the ground.
What is a recovery run?
A recovery run is a short, easy-effort run completed the day after a hard session to aid recovery.
What is a recovery week?
A recovery week is a planned period of reduced training volume or intensity within a longer training cycle, allowing the body to absorb previous training load.
What is road crown?
Road crown is the raised centre of a road surface that creates camber sloping toward each side.
What is RPE in running?
RPE means “rate of perceived exertion,” a subjective scale runners use to rate how hard an effort feels.
What is specificity in training?
Specificity is the training principle that adaptations are most effective when training closely matches the demands of the target event, guiding the shift toward race-specific work as a race approaches.
What are splits in running?
Splits are the recorded times for each segment of a race, typically each mile or kilometre.
What is a staggered start?
A staggered start releases runners in small groups at intervals rather than all at once, to reduce congestion at the start line.
What is step width?
Step width is the lateral distance between a runner’s left and right footfall.
What is stride length?
Stride length is the distance covered between one footfall and the next footfall of the same foot.
What are strides (striders)?
Strides, also called striders, are short accelerations of eighty to one hundred metres run at a fast but controlled pace, typically at the end of an easy run or during a warm-up.
What is a sub-elite runner?
Sub-elite describes runners who compete at a high standard but fall short of professional or elite qualifying times.
What is supination?
Supination is outward rolling of the foot after it strikes the ground, the opposite of pronation.
What is the swing phase?
The swing phase is the part of the gait cycle when a foot is off the ground and moving forward.
What is a taper?
A taper is a planned reduction in training volume in the days or weeks before a race, intended to arrive rested.
What is temperature (running conditions)?
Temperature is the ambient air temperature during a run, the underlying variable that combines with humidity to produce the heat index.
What is a tempo run?
A tempo run is a sustained effort run completed at a challenging but controllable pace, typically close to lactate threshold.
What is threshold pace?
Threshold pace is the pace a runner can sustain at their lactate threshold for an extended period.
What is track surface?
Track surface refers to the composition of a running track, such as rubberised all-weather surfaces.
What is a training block?
A training block is a defined period of training built around a specific focus, such as base building, threshold work, or a taper, that fits within a larger training cycle.
What is treadmill incline?
Treadmill incline is the gradient setting on a treadmill, used to simulate uphill running or add training load.
What is vertical oscillation?
Vertical oscillation is the up-and-down movement of a runner’s torso during each stride. See the full breakdown of vertical oscillation.
What is vertical ratio?
Vertical ratio expresses vertical oscillation as a percentage of stride length, used to assess running efficiency.
What is VO2 max?
VO2 max is the maximum rate at which the body can consume oxygen during exercise, and is defined in full under Sports Sensors.
What is training volume?
Volume refers to the total amount of training completed, usually measured in distance or time.
What is a wave start?
A wave start divides runners into separate groups that start a few minutes apart, usually by predicted finish time.
What is wind (running conditions)?
Wind describes the direction and speed of moving air during a run, commonly discussed as a headwind, tailwind, or crosswind depending on the runner’s direction of travel relative to it.
What is wind chill?
Wind chill is the perceived decrease in temperature caused by wind increasing the rate of heat loss from exposed skin.
What is zone 2?
Zone 2 is a low-intensity heart rate zone associated with aerobic base training.
