Is it better to run on pavement or gravel?
Karley Hahn
2025-07-14 04:56:20
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It might sound obvious, but some surfaces are harder than others, with the general rule being trails/packed dirt paths are the easiest and kindest on your body, followed by asphalt roads, and then—last choice—concrete. Asphalt roads are always going to be better than concrete, and I would always advise doing anything you can to avoid running on concrete as it’s the hardest on your body. Obviously a lot depends on geography and the terrain you have available to you, but my go-to recommendation for the majority of your running is to opt for dirt trails or roads, as even and smooth as possible, to help you get the most from your run training and your day-to-day recovery. Trails/packed dirt paths are the easiest and kindest on your body, followed by asphalt roads.
Larue Boyer
2025-07-11 09:47:15
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It’s been my experience that marathoners and half marathoners who do the majority of their hard workouts on pavement end up the most ready to handle the rigors of the road come race day. I have our HOKA NAZ Elite athletes run most of their easy runs on soft surfaces, but when it comes to the tough sessions during a marathon or half marathon training segment we are almost always out on famous Lake Mary Rd. I do believe that pavement is a little harder on the body overall than a soft surface. However, I do not believe that it necessarily leads directly to injury. So if you’re someone who has had trouble with your lower legs cramping up or your quads feeling shot late into a marathon or half marathon, or even the run portion of an Ironman or Half Ironman, then I’d highly recommend getting out and training on pavement for some hard workouts. And again, I still like soft stuff for the majority of your easy runs, but the race specific work should be done on race specific surfaces.
Haylie Ondricka
2025-06-29 06:15:24
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Dirt, gravel and woodland trails are also good choices. Like grass, they reduce the impact on your bones and knees and help prevent injuries from overexertion. The surface you run on plays a major role in determining the impact on your body and how much repetitive microdamage may be done to your bones and joints over time. If at all possible, runners should avoid concrete and cement surfaces like sidewalks. Hard surfaces can lead to shin splints and repetitive overuse injuries, such as Achilles tendinopathy (tendonitis), which causes heel pain due to an incomplete healing response. The best urban surface is asphalt, which is why generally you see runners using streets rather than sidewalks for their exercise.
Nya Carter
2025-06-29 05:35:08
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Running is always classified as a high impact sport but we can use a variety of surfaces to reduce that impact. Reduced impact means lowered risk of bone injury like stress fractures and stress reactions. Dirt roads, crushed gravel, limestone, and the like are significantly softer and easier on the body than asphalt and concrete, but still quite responsive. Dirt roads absorb shock much better than concrete and asphalt, so more energy is lost with each step. Dirt roads are ideal for long runs, longer tempo runs and general mileage. Dirt roads are a great choice for runners who are prone to stress injuries and for runners returning to fitness after a stress injury. Grass is one of the softest feasible options for runners. Grass is very soft and therefore not very responsive, which makes it a slow surface for running. However, it is perfect for runners returning to run after a stress injury, and should always be prioritized before adding miles on asphalt or concrete.
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