Tight Hip Flexors While Marathon Training? What Your Body’s Trying to Tell You (and How to Fix It)
- Marie Whitt
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
“Anyone else dealing with this weird hip flexor tightness? Not sharp pain, just ...uncomfortable.”
“My hip always seem to lock up after speed sessions. It’s not an injury (I think?) but it’s definitely messing with my stride.”
“Three weeks out from race day and this hip tightness is making me nervous. Do I stretch more or rest?”
If you’re like these runners,
you’ve probably noticed the same thing creeping in: that deep, stubborn hip flexor tightness that shows up when your long runs get longer, or when your intervals start flirting with fatigue.
You’ve stretched.
Foam rolled.
Maybe even tried a mobility flow or two.
And still… that hip just won’t chill.
It’s not quite pain, but it’s definitely not right. You can feel your stride changing, a little shorter, a little stiffer.
And now, as race day inches closer, you’re wondering:
“Is this going to go away in time? What else can I do right now to fix this?”
Here’s the short answer: there are things you can do right now.
So before you panic or pull back too far, let’s unpack what’s really going on with your hip flexor:
what it’s trying to tell you,
why stretching alone isn’t cutting it,
and the exercises you can start doing today to keep this tightness from tanking your race.
Why Your Hip Flexor Feels Tight (But Isn’t Actually Short)
Let’s clear up one of the biggest misconceptions runners have about hip flexor tightness.
The common internet solution is to stretch your hip flexor, because if it's feeling tight, it must be short! That's what you've heard sitting too much does, right?
While that may be true in some cases, for you as a runner fighting with cranky hip flexor flares during your long run, your hip flexor isn’t tight because it’s short.
It's tight because it’s doing too much.
When your glutes and deeper core muscles aren’t pulling their weight, your hip flexor steps in to keep your pelvis stable and help you drive your leg forward. And when that happens mile after mile, speed workout after speed workout… it starts screaming for help.
This kind of “tightness” isn’t a flexibility issue. It’s a fatigue and stability issue.
The muscle isn’t asking you to stretch it; it’s asking you to offload it.
You might notice:
Your hip flexor feels “locked” or heavy after sitting for an extended period of time like a car ride, especially the day after a long run.
You feel that deep, dull ache during the first half of your run or the first few strides of your warm-up that gradually eases as you find your rhythm.
Stretching gives you relief for about five minutes… then it’s back.
That’s because the hip flexor is basically saying, “Hey, I’m tired of holding everything together by myself.”
Here’s the good news:
Running-specific exercises that target the 3 key hip flexor fixers can give you dramatic, immediate improvements: glute activation, hip girdle stability, and core control.
When combined together, especially consistently during marathon training, “tight” hip flexors finally chill out.
As a result, you feel lighter through your stride, smoother through your hip swing, and stronger when you push off.
The Science-Backed Hip Fix: Why Strength Beats Stretching Every Time
Let me throw some science at you quickly to back up my points:
One study "evaluated the efficacy of two different exercise programs for reducing all-complaint lower extremity injuries in adult novice recreational runners."
The results?
The hip and core training program significantly reduced lower extremity injuries, especially overuse injuries, while stand-alone the ankle and foot program did not.
Even more impressive:
the group performing hip and core exercises had a 52% lower prevalence of substantial overuse injuries compared to those doing static stretching before runs. Across 24 weeks, their injury rates stayed lower nearly every single week.
In short: stronger hips and core = fewer injuries, happier miles, and stronger hip flexors.
Now let’s stack another layer of evidence on top.
Another study found that "coaches and athletes should consider implementing hip flexor strengthening exercises to improve the functional balance ratio and running economy".
Translation?
When your hip flexors and glutes are equally strong, your stride becomes more balanced, efficient, and powerful because those two muscles are teammates performing opposite actions.
And when both teammates are strong, everything in between (your hip, pelvis, and stride rhythm) works in sync.
These studies aren’t just numbers.
They’re your roadmap to ditching deep, nagging hip tightness and finally running free.
So, let’s get practical.
Let me walk you through a few simple, evidence-based exercises you can start using today to calm your hip flexor and build lasting stability. But stick with me to the end because what I’ve got waiting there takes your strength (and your race-day confidence) to an entirely new level.
Your 4-Part Hip Flexor Fix without the Stretching
Circuit:
3 sets each // medium to heavy resistance band
Runner's Wall Push with Hip Flexor Pump
x3 to fatigue on tight side only
1/2 Kneeling Halo
6 reps CW/ 6 reps CCW
hip that is tight: this leg is down on the ground
Banded Bear Crawl: Forward
5 yards total
Side Plank with Hip Flexor Pump
8-12 reps (beneficial to do on both sides)
Why Stretching Won't Save Your Tight Hip Flexors
Runner's Wall Push with Hip Flexor Pump
Let me be honest, you may or may not need this one.
THE TRUTH: everyone's body responds differently to exercises. And I like this one in case your hip flexor is being a real, naggy butt. Sometimes with quick, short range bursts of "action", we can calm a cranky muscle down like your hip flexor because at the same time, we're recruiting every other muscle teammate to simultaneously support it. That's what this exercise does: reminds the hip flexor how to do it's job while supported by it's other muscle teammates in a position that looks like running.
If you like it, keep it! If you can't tell whether it's working for you, throw it out.
1/2 Kneeling Halo
This is one of my favorites.
THE SECRET: hip flexors are immediately a lot happier when they have the activated teammates like your core and your glutes. And this particular running-on-your-knees looking position does exactly that. While it doesn't directly use your hip flexor, it does ask your body to re-learn how your glutes, core, and hip flexor are supposed to work together.
As a result, which this exercise being more posterior chain/hip girdle stability focused (read: glutes, hammies, and core need to communicate), it gives the hip flexor a chance to relax and release. Because somebody else is doing the work now. Don't forget: the hip that's bothering you, that same-side knee is the one of the floor! But really, this is a good one to do on both sides and compare/contrast how they feel. You'll learn a lot about your body this way!
Banded Bear Crawl: Forward
I love me some bear crawls, and here's why.
TOP TIP: while I feel extremely validated as a PT for research papers like the ones above explicitly expressing the connection between hip flexor and core strength for runners, there's one other element that I've found: upper body push strength.
You can think of this "push" as a push up, but specifically for running, it translates to your forward swinging arm. This is the movement-partner to the hip flexor of the forward striding leg. (I know, lots of mental gymnastics right now).
What I want you to take away from this is upper body push strength when integrated with core and hip flexor strength, makes for dynamite results and tightness-relieving progress.
Side Plank with Hip Flexor Pump
Take your time here. I realize this one can be a doozy.
THE REASON: we're taking the whole "core and hip flexor" connection seriously, while still making it look like running, even if it's running on your side. We're also continuing to incorporate that upper body push strength with arm pressing into the ground that we talked about with the bear crawl.
Trying to coordinate this movement alone could be enough for you! Adding that band is nice; it targets your hip flexor focally by adding resistance to this specific muscle group. However, take this in baby steps as needed. And if that band is really too cumbersome, strap an ankle weight roughly around your knee if you can, or even your thigh if the strap is long enough. But progress at your own pace.
WRAPPING UP
You’ve learned what your hip flexors are really trying to tell you, why stretching alone won’t fix it, and you’ve got the exercises to start unlocking that deep, annoying tightness that’s been holding you back.
But here’s the truth most runners miss:
these drills are the starting line, not the finish.
If you want to stay pain-free for good, not just today, not just for this training cycle, your hip flexors, glutes, and core need to level up together.
That’s what keeps your stride efficient, your power consistent, and your body calm when training stress climbs high.
That’s exactly what we do inside Project PR.
It’s where we take what you started here and turn it into a full, strategic plan built for marathoners who want to run faster, stay stronger, and never lose weeks of training to “tight hips” again.
Because the difference between a runner who just manages pain… and a runner who crushes race day, is a plan that builds performance and strength at the same time.
So if you’re ready to go from “holding it together” to truly race-ready, grab your spot inside Project PR where your next PR starts long before the starting line.
Dare to Train Differently,
Marie Whitt, PT, DPT //@dr.whitt.fit
REFERENCES:
Leppänen M, Viiala J, Kaikkonen P, et al. Br J Sports Med 2024;58:722–732.
Silva WA, de Lira CAB, Vancini RL, Andrade MS. Hip muscular strength balance is associated with running economy in recreationally-trained endurance runners. PeerJ. 2018 Jul 24;6:e5219. doi: 10.7717/peerj.5219. PMID: 30065859; PMCID: PMC6063213.
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