Off-road running at pace is a different discipline to road running. The rules that apply on a flat, sealed surface do not transfer to trails, forest tracks, and field paths. And if you assume they do, the terrain will correct you quickly.

I am on day 2,195 of my consecutive daily running streak. 16,838.17km completed toward my goal of 40,075km, a lap of the world on foot, barefoot-style. I am 23,236.83km away from finishing that goal, and a large number of those remaining kilometres will be off-road. I am also about a month away from pacing a local village fundraising 10K for our primary school. That course is 50% off-road. Roots, ruts, mud, nettles, forested sections where the ground shifts under you without warning. So this topic is relevant to me right now, not in theory but in practice.

Here are three things I have learned about running off-road at pace. Not from reading about it. From 2,195 days of doing it.

Off-road running is approximately 30% harder than road running

This is the figure I keep returning to, and it holds up in my experience. The reason is straightforward. On hard ground, every push-off generates a return. The surface is firm, the energy exchange is efficient. On soft ground, the earth absorbs part of that force. Each stride costs more for the same result.

I can run a 10K close to 40 minutes on road. On the course I will be pacing next month, around 43 and a half minutes is a realistic ceiling if I am pushing hard. That gap is not a fitness failure. That is terrain doing what terrain does.

There is a benefit on the other side. Softer ground reduces impact forces on the joints. For someone running barefoot-style, as I do in Vibram FiveFingers, that matters. But the joint benefit does not cancel out the energy cost. You still have to adjust your expectations before you run, not during the run when your legs feel heavier than they should and you start questioning your preparation.

Set your time target honestly, with the 30% factor built in. Do not measure an off-road effort against your road personal best. They are not comparable.

Foot placement is everything

On road, foot placement is largely automatic. The surface is consistent. Off-road at pace, every stride requires a conscious decision.

This morning I was running through a forested section with tree roots breaking through the surface and old vehicle ruts cut into the ground. At a slow pace you can read the ground and respond to it. At race pace you are sometimes placing your foot before you have fully assessed what is underneath it. You are relying on instinct, balance, and running style to fill the gap.

Barefoot-style running has helped me here over the years. Because I land softer, without a heavy heel strike encouraged by thick cushioned footwear, slight ankle movements tend to be manageable rather than catastrophic. A small turn on a root that might put a heavy heel-striker on the ground is often just a correction and carry on when you are running with a lighter contact.

But I do not rely on that. I am very consciously aware when running off-road at pace that one misjudged landing is all it takes. At this village race every year, without fail, there are injuries. These are motivated people. They are running a fundraiser, the energy is good, everyone is pushing. That combination of effort and uneven ground produces casualties every time.

Stay conscious of your foot placement. Slow down before technical sections rather than committing at full pace and hoping the ground is forgiving. It often is not.

Running line is a real advantage

Off-road terrain is not uniform. A few metres in the wrong direction can mean the difference between firm, flat ground and a series of ruts that drain your energy and raise your injury risk with every step. The line you take matters.

The most practical advice I can offer is this: if someone is running ahead of you at a similar or faster pace and they look comfortable, follow their line. They have already done the navigation work. They have already found where the ground is flat and where the footing is reliable. Every step they take is information you can use.

The only runner without that advantage is the person in first place. They have to make every call themselves. Everyone else has a live guide. Use it. The energy saving from running a flat, consistent line rather than ploughing through unnecessary rises and dips is real and it compounds over the distance.

The reason I keep going every day

I am 16,838.17km into a 40,075km journey. The mission is to raise £1 million for children's causes, including Great Ormond Street Hospital and BBC Children in Need. Every person who watches, shares, and follows this helps move that number closer to where it needs to be. That is why I run every single day, on road, on trail, in mud, in whatever the morning brings.

Off-road running at pace asks more of you than road running. Respect the 30% harder reality. Place your feet deliberately at every stride. Follow the best running line when someone ahead of you has already found it.

2,195 days. The terrain keeps teaching. I keep showing up.

Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/p46XjxPv3PM