Can you train only on a treadmill for a road race? If that’s your burning question, I have an answer and some advice for you. I’m a certified running coach with over fifteen years of running experience. I’ve run everything from an ill-advised 100m relay leg to a 50k marathon, though my focus these days tends to be on the marathon.
As a treadmill reviewer, I spend an awful lot of time on the treadmill. It makes up a significant part of my training, though not all of my training. Still, I’ve often wondered what would happen if I cut out all of my outdoor training entirely, and today, I’m going to share with you the biggest obstacles to training only on the treadmill and how you might be able to overcome them.
Why Are You Training Only on the Treadmill?
I feel that this is a necessary first question. One, I’m inspired to ask by thirteen-year-old me, who was terrified of anyone seeing me running. I ditched more than one workout simply because I could not overcome the idea that being seen running was embarrassing. While I’m long past that, maybe you aren’t.
If you are using the treadmill to hide, I suggest trying a running group. While it can be intimidating to join a running group, it may make you more comfortable to run in a group. Often, you will find others training at your pace. Besides, what is a run group other than an impromptu, casual road race?
Now, there are tons of other reasons you might need to train on the treadmill. Maybe it’s needing to watch the kids, scheduling conflicts, safety concerns, and a myriad of other issues. Regardless, I’m not trying to convince you not to train only on the treadmill, but if you find yourself struggling to overcome any of the following difficulties, maybe consider a few road runs, if possible.
Five Obstacles to Overcome When Training Exclusively on the Treadmill
Here are the considerations you need to make when training only on the treadmill so that you can head to the starting line on race day with confidence.
Running Surface
A treadmill’s cushioned deck provides more shock absorption than running on the pavement.
Treadmills, even firm ones, are typically softer and more shock-absorbing than running on the pavement. While the treadmill’s softer surface may feel easier on your bones and joints, it may not adequately prepare you for race day.
The difference in surfaces may be the hardest obstacle to overcome. If you only run on a treadmill, your body doesn’t have a chance to adjust to the harder impact of road running, so you may come away from race day with shin splints or other aches and pains.
For those of you training for a 5k, the difference in surface may not be too big of an issue, especially if you are pretty experienced with running. However, I recommend that marathon runners at least do one road run early in their training to test their ability to withstand the impact of road running. If you handle it well for one long run, you have less to worry about come race day.
Shoe Differences
Your shoes will feel different running on the pavement than they do on a cushioned treadmill.
Another, related difference is the experience of running shoes on the treadmill versus on the road. The soft treadmill surface may combine with the cushioning of your shoes to provide a soft landing. Then, when you take the same shoes out on the road, they may feel quite different.
I had a reverse experience of this. I took my extremely high-cushioned Hokas for a run on a soft NordicTrack and felt out of control because there was too much bounce and too much squish. I still went on to run 500 miles in those Hokas, so it wasn’t that the shoes were bad—they just didn’t make a good surface match with the treadmill.
If you like a soft ride from your running shoes, you may need a shoe with a little higher cushion to get the same feel out on the road. While I don’t recommend extremely cushioned shoes, such as the Hoka Skyward X, which I found to be too extreme on the treadmill, choosing one of the more cushioned shoes in your rotation for race day may provide a better experience.
Hydration and Nutrition
If you need to wear a hydration vest on race day, you’ll need to practice with it on the treadmill.
While the first two difficulties may seem a little daunting to overcome, this one is fully within your power to overcome. Though you are training on a treadmill, maybe at home where you can easily access anything you need (water, food, the bathroom), you can rehearse your race day.
Instead of pausing the treadmill when you need hydration or fuel, you’ll need to get in the habit of practicing eating and drinking while you run. Though your treadmill may have ample storage to hold all your hydration and nutrition needs, if you have to carry it all during the race, practice carrying it during your runs.
Another note—this one goes for anyone training for a race, not just on a treadmill—practice with the nutrition and hydration type and strategy that you will use on race day.
The same advice goes for anything else you will carry on race day. Although you don’t have to carry your phone or other items while on the treadmill, I recommend that you do so weekly if you plan to do so on race day. You want to catch any issues far in advance so you can adjust your strategy if needed.
One of the most important pieces of training advice: nothing new on race day.
Running Mechanics
Your running form changes slightly from running outside to running on the treadmill, but you may not notice it.
I have a master’s in exercise science with a concentration in biomechanics. That means that I study human movement, to put it simply. And one of the longest-standing debates within biomechanics, as it relates to running, is whether treadmill running and overground running (any running not on a treadmill) are the same. Or are they the same “enough” to treat them as the same?
I fall into the camp that treadmill running and overground running are the same enough for me to count them both toward my weekly mileage total. I think they are different enough that you can change your running gait on the treadmill and need to change it separately outside. The TLDR: it depends on the context.
Most running mechanics changes occur subconsciously from the treadmill to the road and vice versa. You might alter your stride length, forward lean, and cadence when running on the treadmill. Your leg spring stiffness changes. (Check this blog out if you want more details: How to Run on a Treadmill Properly.)
But the reason I’ve included this section on this list is that exclusively running on the treadmill doesn’t give you time to acclimate to running on the road. These subtle changes to your form aren’t something your body has adapted to. This problem becomes even more exacerbated if your race has uphill and downhill sections that you haven’t been able to replicate on your treadmill.
While you can’t control all the factors that may change in your running mechanics when going from running on the treadmill to running on the road, at the very least, ensure that you use your treadmill’s incline capabilities often enough to replicate the demands of the race. If you are deciding on a treadmill, I recommend choosing one with a good incline range and maybe a firmer running surface.
Entertainment
You probably won’t be able to stream Netflix during your race, so plan some training runs without the distraction.
A few weeks out from the Boston Marathon, I had a serious dilemma. I ran my first and second marathons with music. At the time, I was doing every road and treadmill run with music or some other distraction. Upon hastily googling whether or not I could listen to music during the race, I received a heavy answer: it’s allowed but not recommended.
Suddenly, whether or not I listened to music during my race felt like a moral quandary. Would I listen to music because it was how I had been training for months? And if I did so, would I miss some of the experience and become a nuisance to other runners by not being as aware of my surroundings?
If I don’t listen to music, would I be able to make it through the race? Even if I made it through the race, would my performance suffer or my enjoyment decline?
I started doing my long runs and fast workouts without music. It gave me a taste of what running without music would be like, and it showed me that I could do it. As race day neared, though, I still wasn’t 100% sure what I would choose. While in Boston, I settled on wearing my headphones and only turning them on if I decided they were necessary. Yet, as my turn to board the bus came, I handed the headphones back to my husband.
I hadn’t fully trusted the veterans of Boston who said running without music was worth it. Then, I did it, and the energy was more than enough to carry me to the finish line. It was awesome!
I recommend that you skip the music, podcasts, and audiobooks on race day, but practice doing so beforehand. Smaller races won’t have the same outrageous support as the Boston Marathon, but still provide an opportunity to be present with others, the scenery, and yourself.
If your treadmill has a touchscreen or is placed in front of your TV, it may feel difficult to say no to the entertainment, but I suggest you try it. I know that it can be scary, but it’s worth it. Besides, many runs do not allow headphones, so you’ll want to be prepared!
Final Coaching Words
Training for a road race on a treadmill only is not ideal, but with planning, it can be successful. I’ve highlighted my top concerns and how you can do your best to overcome them, though not all are fully remediable.
Doing 90% of your training on a treadmill is more feasible, and I would lean toward doing at least one run on the road per week for even better results and preparation. However, your situation may preclude such a training strategy, and I don’t think that should keep you from entering a road race.
Good luck, and I hope to see you at the starting line!
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