What's the best technique for running through boggy ground?

Keep ground contact time as short as possible with a rapid, light-footed style that resembles running on hot coals. Lift your knees higher than normal, transfer weight quickly from foot to foot, and don't linger on any surface long enough to sink. It looks ridiculous but works far better than trying to maintain a normal stride.

Should I wear waterproof trail shoes for bog running?

It depends on your preference, and honestly, there's no good answer. Waterproof shoes can keep water out initially, but once it gets in (and it will), they just trap it inside. Non-waterproof shoes fill immediately but at least drain. Both options end in wet feet.

How do you pick the best route through a bog while still running?

Scan a few metres ahead to plot your route through the firmer-looking tussocks (usually larger, grassier clumps) rather than staring down at your feet constantly. Avoid darker, wetter patches between tussocks as they're typically deepest. When there are no good options, just commit and go straight through at speed — hesitation only means sinking deeper.

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Bog Trot Efficiency: The Least Dignified Running Technique You'll Need

At some point between the car park and the summit, most trails cross peat bog — that waterlogged stretch where your gait becomes part hop, part wade, part optimistic leap between tussocks. There's no elegant way through, but there are faster ways to be inelegant.

11 July 20268 min read