How Cyclists Can Start to Run Without Getting Catastrophically Injured

Nothing screams “off-season” more than when pro cyclists start popping crazy running performances into your Strava feed.

Whether it’s Mathieu van der Poel blasting 10Ks while nose-breathing or Andreas Leknessund and Alexys Brunel obliterating half- and full-marathon races, the ride-to-run pivot is as seasonal as pumpkin-flavored everything.

But if you’re feeling inspired to do the same now the fondo season is over and the weather is turning grim, don’t lace up your runners just yet.

An overzealous new running regimen could leave you with DOMS so bad you’ve got to walk down stairs backward and might not be any benefit when you’re back on the bike.

There’s a reason why Tom Dumoulin waited to retire before he clipped off a sub-2:30 at the New York Marathon.

And even for the most experienced runners, the crossover benefit to cycling is still unproven. A marathon P.B. in winter won’t guarantee an FTP personal best in spring.

But what about the benefits for bone health? We hear your cries. Well, some pro trainers have thoughts on that, too.

Here’s what cyclists should know before they take up running this off-season.

We cover what the pros do, the risks and benefits for you, and how to start running without smashing your capacity to cycle.

Pro cycling’s off-season is a pro cyclist’s run season

“Pro cyclist does stupid-fast run” is like a meme that’s auto-posted every autumn.

Riders driven stir-crazy by weeks without structure, competition, and a mandate to stay away from the bike often lace up their trainers at this time of year for an annoyingly fast “jog.”

Adam Yates, Tom Pidcock, and Tiffany Cromwell are among the active pros who’ve laced rapid running performances in off-seasons past.

This year, Brunel of TotalEnergies and Leknessund of Uno-X Mobility stepped up to stoke the annual “cyclist runs fast” meme.

Brunel finished 20th at the Lille Marathon in a smokin’ fast time of 2:26. Leknessund casually ran a 1:15 at the Amsterdam Half Marathon, despite having run little more than 100km in the past year.

Those are times even the most devoted enthusiast runner would lose all their toenails and get plantar fasciitis for.

Pro cyclists: Big engine, weak chassis

Brunel and Leknessund’s cycling coaches might not have been so impressed.

Tudor Pro Cycling performance guru James Spragg told Velo that even the strongest pros tread a tightrope if they pivot to running too fast.

“Those guys can run very good times compared to regular runners because they’ve got that huge cardiovascular base. But they don’t have the mechanical adaptations, and that makes them very average against a world-class runner. And that’s also where the injury risk can come up,” Spragg said.

“Cyclists who suddenly cross over don’t have the shock resistance that’s built in the cartilage over time, or the tendon stiffness which gives you running efficiency. They are mechanical adaptations that you need to get from running,” Spragg said.

“Trying to go too far or too fast without those can be dangerous.”

Brunel and Leknessund appear to have built some running base before they blasted their recent races. Their injury risks might not have been extreme.

But Spragg’s point stands.

Riders who feel inspired to start running fall into a trap of pushing harder than their bodies, pampered by years of non-weight-bearing sport, can handle.

“The one thing we as coaches have in our ‘advantage’ with cyclists coming into running is normally they do one run, and then the DOMS protects them from themselves,” Spragg laughed.

“They run once and then don’t run again until the next off-season.”

Why a new running habit won’t make you ride faster

Pros “have” to step away from the bike in autumn to reset themselves for the next season of self-flagellation.

Amateur riders don’t have 10 months of heinous workouts and 50kph racing to steel themselves for, but there’s a similar temptation to take a winter break.

Short, dank days, and the end of a season of fondos, races, and adventures can make bike rides feel pretty unappealing.

But if you’re considering taking up running as an off-season replacement, apply caution.

For beginners, the acute DOMS can be so devastating that a set of stairs can feel insurmountable. And more chronic conditions can crop up surprisingly fast. Tendinopathies will flare after even a fortnight of running beyond your experience.

The brutal demands of running are why any good training program will start with weeks of run-walk workouts.

These extra-easy “interval” sessions prepare the body for ground reaction forces more than three times a runner’s bodyweight. But be warned – they will do nothing for the fitness of even a moderately trained cyclist.

For noobs, the time investment is high, and the aerobic payoff is low.

Even veteran runners may feel little benefit when they return to the bike after spending winter pounding trails and tarmac – a recent study found no improvement in sport-specific performance if running and cycling were used to replace one another.

Why?

Because the mechanics simply don’t translate.

Even the most souplessed pedal stroke is a predominantly concentric (shortening/pushing) muscle contraction. Meanwhile, running incorporates an eccentric load into a push-pull motion that’s totally alien to even the strongest riders.

Running builds fitness, but it can only be expressed on the bike if you maintain the riding legs.

Why do you want to start running, really?

Riders who want to take up running to avoid the misery of the winter need to consider their longer-term goals.

If you’re in a rush to maintain bike fitness ahead of early-season challenges, look beyond the latest pair of Hokas.

The early run-walk protocols will wipe time off your schedule and do almost nothing for your aerobic capacity.

However, those who gamble by skipping those slightly embarrassing intervals are running toward injury.

Jayco-AlUla team trainer Peter Leo said the inefficiency of “learning” to run should give riders pause.

“I really encourage cross sports to my athletes, but you’ve got to just be careful how you use running,” Leo told Velo. “You don’t want to pick up any kind of overuse injury from under-preparation, or doing too much when the body is not ready.

“That means we have to introduce running really slowly. And that means a rider has to consider their priorities. Is running really the best use of their time?”

Instead, both Leo and Spragg nudge riders away from running and toward lower-impact, bigger-benefit cross-training modalities.

Cross-country skiing, skimo, hiking, or more time in the weight room will maintain some aerobic base, introduce skeletal loading (more on that later), and satisfy endorphin cravings – all while taking a break from the bike.

“I think all riders should consider why they take an off-season. It’s a time to rest and not to overtrain, and definitely not to get injured,” Leo said. “The whole point of riders taking a break is to help them be better riders when they return – especially the pros.”

Leo’s point applies equally to WorldTour superstars and riders with ambitions for the new year.

If you want to come back to the bike fresh and strong, don’t go sprinting around your local parkrun. If running a marathon is part of some lifelong ambition, lace up, follow a proper training program, and be very patient.

Patience in running can deliver a payoff to riding

Taking the safe route into running via a slow, steady build of run-walk workouts can be a drag for accomplished riders.

But investing that time can pay off with significant long-term rewards.

Even a minimal year-long running program that supplements a cycling plan will maintain the muscular adaptations of both sports and allow an easy pivot into running on the descent into winter.

Running can be a cyclist’s best friend when the weather is filthy, or the bike is busted.

The outsize aerobic effect of running makes it a wildly effective way to build fitness ready to be translated to the bike.

“Running is a much more efficient use of time in terms of metabolic adaptation,” Leo said. “If an athlete is suitably adapted to running, it can be a great option for those short on time.”

“Running has a much higher ‘cost’ than cycling,” Leo explained. “You have the central component and responses around your lungs and your cardiovascular system, but running also incorporates the peripheral system. There’s a much higher mechanical impact on your body, on your bones, on your tendons, and a stronger response for general muscle recovery.”

But remember: A 10km personal best will only translate to an FTP personal best if running supplements, rather than replaces, the bike.

Running is not the only solution to low bone density

But wait – what about bone health?

Running is often pushed as a way for cyclists to strengthen a skeleton that’s been weakened by the sport’s huge energy demands and lack of mechanical loading.

But that doesn’t mean running is a mandatory requirement to endure every winter. Other loading activities are available to safeguard against low bone density.

Strength training protects against injury, builds power, and strengthens bones. It should be non-negotiable for riders of any training volume and ambition. Failing that, plyometrics (i.e., jumping) is proven to be effective in triggering skeletal adaptation.

Spragg at Tudor Pro Cycling added that, for pros, bone density might be less of a concern than it once was.

Doomladen studies that suggested “one season in professional cycling is enough to negatively affect bone health” might no longer be relevant in an era where the peloton embraces the weight room and crushes carbs.

“A lot of the bone density research was done on a cohort of cyclists that were probably chronically under-fueling,” Spragg said. “If you look at how we’re fueling riders now compared to before, it’s very different.

“Obviously, loading a bone is super important and no one’s questioning that,” Spragg continued. “But I would hypothesize that it’s not as bad as it was because of the fueling side of things. Also, a lot of our guys do regular strength training now, which really helps with bone density and ligament health.”

Spragg’s theory aligns with prevailing wisdom on bone health.

Running doesn’t need to be part of a bone-building regimen, provided the diet adequately supports training load and the weekly program includes some loading.

How to start running this winter

If you want to start running, our friends at Run by Outside have a fantastic beginner program here.

Note that the first four weeks are loaded with potentially frustrating run-walk workouts. After that, volume progresses at only 10 percent per week.

That’s to say, “learning” to run is a long-term investment. Don’t expect to be blasting Boston or London Marathon by April 2027 if you’ve never run further than the bus stop.

And above all, remember – if you want to be a better bike rider, you’ve got to keep riding your bike, no matter how fast you can run.