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Distance running is often framed as a pursuit of health, performance, and personal achievement. But for many athletes, especially women, the sport is shaped by a more harmful belief: that being thinner leads to better performance. This isn’t just an oversimplification of the science, it’s dangerous and detrimental to the entire community.

The Quiet Reality

Endurance runners face constant pressure to have a specific body type. For women in particular, appearance is scrutinized as much as performance. In many training environments, “thinner is faster” is treated as fact, and it’s reinforced by coaches, peers, and cultural norms.

The consequences are serious, especially for high-intensity athletes. Chronic under-fueling can lead to digestive issues, insomnia, and loss of bone density, increasing the risk of injury and long-term health complications. Mental health suffers as well, with athletes experiencing anxiety, obsessive thinking about food, and difficulty concentrating. Of course, this doesn’t help athletes achieve optimal performance, but they’re unfortunately common side effects of a system that prioritizes looks and weight over true health.

Weight Alone Doesn’t Dictate Performance

Physical traits, like overall health, weight, and VO2max, do affect runners, but “skinny” isn’t the end-all-be-all that we’re led to believe it is. In fact, a recent study showed that body weight alone is not enough to determine a runner’s speed during a vertical climb, and muscle mass is vital to achieving more powerful push-off, better running economy, and faster speeds. Body composition, training volume, and cardiorespiratory health also contribute to athletes’ speeds - and these factors are highly influenced by genetics. Runners can reach their potential and reduce their risk of injury in myriad  ways that don’t require weight loss, including supplementary training, like HIIT and strength training, following proper periodization, and incorporating speed work into mostly low-intensity running. And it goes without saying, proper fueling (i.e. eating enough) is essential to maintaining this level of intense training. 

Weight is just one factor that affect performance, and a recent study found that body weight alone is not enough to determine a runner’s speed during a vertical climb. Muscle strength, cardiovascular fitness, training, and recovery are vital to achieving a more powerful push-off, better running economy, and faster speeds.

Adequate refueling underpins all of these.

When athletes under-fuel, performance declines. And yet, we’re seeing an increasing number of athletes fall victim to eating disorders.

A Better Way Forward

Allie Kiefer, an accomplished American distance runner, offers a clear, compelling way forward. During her time as a D1 college runner, Allie was always acutely aware that she weighed more than the women she competed against. When people described her, they’d use the word “strong,” which she knew was a euphemism for “big.” When she spoke to her coaches about this, they encouraged her to diet, so she did, ultimately leading her to under-fuel, harming her performance and causing her to leave the sport.

Years later, she returned to the sport. Though this time, it was different.

Allie joined a CrossFit gym, ran more than ever, and did really, really hard workouts. She stopped worrying about what her body looked like and trained with the goal of being her best. She weighted more than she did during her previous peak, and she finished fifth at the 2017 New York City Marathon as an unsponsored, mostly unknown athletes. Critics wanted her tested for drug use.

Allie persisted. She’s continued to perform at a high level and is now a coach and advocate for health and inclusivity in running.

What Needs to Change

As we look to the future, running culture needs to reflect the values of health, happiness, and personal achievement. That requires:

• Coaches to learn about proper fueling and encourage their athletes to focus on performance

• Athletes to be empowered with the facts about fueling, training, and weight

• The broader running community to promote a culture of inclusivity, regardless of an athlete’s appearance

Losing weight isn’t a shortcut to better performance. Athletes perform best when they are strong, well-fueled, and supported. Shifting our collective mindet is better for us mentally and physically, and it’s essential to strong performances.