In Short
- Trail running is never just road running with better scenery. The surface changes constantly, so your feet, ankles, hips, core, eyes, and brain all have to keep talking to each other.
- That challenge can be useful. A 2023 randomised study comparing trail running with road running found that less predictable terrain may increase neuromuscular stimulation and support aerobic performance in novice runners.
- The environment matters too. Reviews of green exercise suggest that moving in natural settings can support mood, enjoyment, and wellbeing for many people, which is one reason I love getting off the road when I can.
- It still has to be progressed sensibly. Uneven ground asks more of your balance, reaction time, calves, ankles, and concentration, so it deserves respect.
- The goal is not to be reckless. The goal is to build a body that can adapt, react, and keep moving with confidence.
Photo: Kalan Howse.
A Run Through Silvan Reservoir
Yesterday I ran at Silvan Reservoir, and this photo captures exactly why I keep coming back to trail events. There is the obvious part: the trees, the light, the quiet, the feeling of being somewhere that does not care what pace is on your watch. But there is also the less obvious part. Trail running asks a lot of you. It asks you to stay relaxed while the ground keeps changing. It asks your feet to read the surface before your brain has time to overthink it. It asks your whole body to be alert without being tense. That is a very different skill from locking into a rhythm on the road. I love road running. I love the simplicity of it. But trails bring something else into the training mix. Every step has slightly different information in it. One patch is soft and muddy. The next is gravel. Then there is a root, a ditch, a shadow, a steep climb, a little downhill that feels easy until your quads remind you that gravity is not a free ride. It is messy, and that is why it is useful.Why Uneven Ground Changes the Job
When I coach runners, especially adults who want to keep moving well for decades, I am always thinking beyond fitness in the narrow sense. Yes, aerobic capacity matters. Yes, strength matters. Yes, consistency matters. But so does the ability to adjust. Running on uneven ground makes you use more than one gear. It is not just about pushing forward. It is about landing, stabilising, reacting, and pushing again, often before you have consciously processed what happened. That is where proprioception comes in. Proprioception is your body's ability to sense where it is in space. It is the quiet information system that helps you know where your foot landed, how much your ankle rolled, and how quickly your hip needs to stabilise. Trail running gives that system a lot to work with. This is one of the reasons I like trails as part of a broader training life. Not every session needs to be perfectly measured. Sometimes the benefit is in the variation.What the Research Says
I was interested to read a 2023 randomised controlled study, Effects of Trail Running versus Road Running, which compared trail and road running in novice runners. The authors noted that less predictable terrain has the potential to increase stimulation of the neuromuscular system. That makes intuitive sense to me as a coach and as an athlete. On the road, we can often switch off. On the trail, the body has to keep listening. That does not mean trail running is automatically better than road running. I do not think in those terms. It means it gives a different stimulus. For some people, that stimulus is exactly what they need: a bit more balance demand, a bit more foot and ankle strength, a bit more attention, and a break from staring at splits. For others, especially anyone returning from injury or building confidence, it needs to be introduced gradually. The same unpredictability that makes trails useful can also expose weak links if you do too much too soon.The Green Exercise Piece
The other part of this photo is the forest itself. There is a growing body of research around green exercise, which simply means physical activity done in the presence of nature. A systematic review by Lahart and colleagues, The Effects of Green Exercise on Physical and Mental Wellbeing, found limited but promising evidence that natural environments may offer wellbeing benefits beyond exercise alone. Another review, Psychological benefits of outdoor physical activity in natural versus urban environments, looked at experimental studies comparing outdoor activity in natural and urban settings. The important word here is "may." Research in this area is interesting, but it is not a magic prescription. I would never tell someone that one run in the forest will solve everything. What I can say from experience is that training outside often changes the emotional texture of the session. You notice the light. You hear your breathing differently. Your attention moves outwards. You are still working hard, but the effort feels less like punishment and more like participation. That matters, because enjoyment is not a soft extra. For many people, enjoyment is what keeps the habit alive.How I Would Build Trail Running In
If you are road-fit but trail-new, I would not start by chasing pace. I would start by making the terrain the session. Keep the first runs short. Pick a route that is interesting but not technical. Let your pace slow down. Walk the steeper or rougher sections if you need to. That is not failure. That is good decision-making. I would also keep strength training in the picture. Calves, glutes, hamstrings, quads, hips, and trunk all have a role to play. Single-leg work, step-ups, controlled lunges, calf raises, and balance drills can make a big difference to how confident you feel on changing ground. And I would still warm up dynamically. Trails are not the place to start cold and hope your ankles wake up halfway through. Before a trail run, I like movements that prepare the body to react: leg swings, lateral lunges, squat jumps, pogo jumps, and a few short strides or bounds if the surface allows it.The Lesson I Took From Silvan
Silvan was a reminder that fitness is not just numbers. It is being strong enough to climb, coordinated enough to descend, calm enough to adapt, and happy enough to want to do it again. That is what I love about trail running. It rewards patience. It rewards attention. It rewards the athlete who can stay present. And sometimes, if you are lucky, it gives you a photo that reminds you why you started. This article reflects my personal experience and interpretation of the research. It is general training information, not medical advice. If you are returning from injury, managing a health condition, or unsure whether trail running is suitable for you, please seek individual advice from a qualified health professional.Catherine Ashley
