Ross Edgely
© Ross Edgely
Running

Why I'm running 500 miles barefoot carrying 50kg

Is barefoot running the way forward? I'm about to find out...
Written by Ross Edgley
5 min readPublished on
On July 20 I began my "1,000 mile Marine month" – covering 1,000 miles in a month while wearing a 50kg weighted Marine backpack. Traveling 500 miles by foot and 500 miles by bike, I plan to finish at the Bear Grylls Survival Race on August 20 and will be supported and mentored by the Royal Marines as I learn this kind of everlasting endurance that fuses strength and stamina.
For the run section, I had planned on doing this all in a month, "gently" doing 33.33 miles a day. But after an eye infection I lost a week. So that gentle 33.33 miles turned into 43.48 miles a day.
But what people might find strange is that I’ve chosen to forgo the usual hard-wearing footwear that’s used by most military. Instead I will be covering every mile and carrying every kilo barefoot.
Why?
Firstly, because studies show running the event barefoot might actually be easier as it helps to re-learn forgotten foot physiology.
Secondly — and putting sports science to one side — it forms part of my commitment to bring awareness to two truly amazing eco-friendly causes in the form of Chester Zoo’s deforestation project and the Caribbean Island of Nevis’ bid to become the world’s first carbon neutral island by 2010.
Looking ahead to the 500 mile run this is what I hope to learn...

1. Will barefoot running strengthen my feet?

After a pair of Marine boots left my feet blistered and bruised I decided to do the 1,000 miles shoeless – how Mother Nature intended. Although the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association states that, “There is no evidence that either confirms or refutes improved performance and reduced injuries in barefoot runners,” there is some evidence to suggest ditching trainers can strengthen the feet.
Research from the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University found,
"A barefoot running style provides increased proprioception and foot strength.”
Proprioception just means the body's ability to sense movement within joints and joint position. Since running barefoot improves this ability, it makes sense it could also improve foot placement and technique.
Especially important when carrying a 50kg backpack...

2. Will barefoot running reduce my risk of injury?

The great San Bushmen hunters of Africa could (and often would) run a marathon a day without leaving a single trail. Their running technique was perfect. Gliding over the sand on their toes delicately and effortlessly, they also do this completely void of many running injuries that plague most runners.
How? One theory relates to how we humans move. Known as “human gaits,” it refers to the different ways in which we get from A to B. One key variable with running is how our feet strike the floor – we either land on the ball of the foot (forefoot strike), our heel (heel strike) or both the heel and ball land at the same time (midfoot strike).
Your landing is much “softer” if you land on your toes or the front of your foot with a forefoot or midfoot strike.
What this means is the forces that impact on your body and joints are far less severe and “cushioned”.
Knowing this and understanding how your body moves can therefore become invaluable when preventing injury. An idea supported by a study conducted at Harvard University in 2012 where it was found, “Competitive cross-country runners on a college team incur high injury rates, but runners who habitually heel strike have significantly higher rates of repetitive stress injury than those who mostly forefoot strike.”
Again, especially important when carrying a 50kg backpack…

3. Will barefoot running make me faster?

It’s often forgotten that running is a skill. Cadence is a term used to describe the total number of “revolutions per minute” (RPM) by your feet. Experts generally recommend you aim for 180 steps per minute since any lower and you might begin to overstride, which can cause the knees to lock and the heels to slam into the ground. As well as putting undue stress on your joints this is also much slower as every step serves as a “brake” to your forward motion.
The barefoot running employed by the San Bushmen of Namibia is said to emphasize a quicker, more natural cadence.
This is mainly because you don’t want to be taking huge leaps and strides onto surfaces that might be riddled with thorns and stones. Instead, when running without shoes, you will naturally take faster, smaller and more precise steps.
This is especially important when carrying a 50kg backpack...

4. Will barefoot running mean that I can carry more weight?

Lastly, all of the above seems to support research from the United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine that studied how walking speed varies with backpack load. 16 males walked with a weighted backpack of 6kg, 20kg, 33kg and 46kg and it was found as load increased from 33kg to 47kg, “Stride frequency increased and stride length decreased”. Basically the weight produced a greater cadence.
This higher cadence is, “Likely improving stability and reducing stress on the musculoskeletal system” as the probability of fatigue and injury increase with weight. Which is why (again in theory) running the mileage barefoot — which naturally lends itself to a quicker, "more natural" cadence — might not be a bad idea.
In summary, will all of this work? I have to be honest – I’ve no idea.
After analysing thousands of studies from years of research, scientists from the University of Hull stated there is no universally agreed consensus on the best way to train for endurance. Adding, “There is insufficient direct scientific evidence to formulate training recommendations based on the limited research.”
Which is why — in my own strange way — these 1,000 miles are my attempt to add to the “insufficient direct scientific evidence” with my own experiment that fuses ancient African running techniques with modern military training.
It’s either genius, stupid or both.
But by August 20 I will know which.
To follow Ross’s 1,000 Mile Marine Month and to donate to Chester Zoo and Act For Wildlife, visit here. Ross Edgley is an athlete adventurer, chief sports scientist at THE PROTEIN WORKS™ and considered one of the world’s most travelled fitness experts. Follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.