Sports tech moves fast, but distance running might be where it is shifting the most.

Training in the sport has evolved over the years, and it isn’t just mileage and feel anymore. Data, pattern tracking and, in some cases, AI all help identify stride tendencies and recovery patterns long before an athlete or coach might notice them.

And wearables are the clearest starting point.

WHOOP, now common among endurance athletes, has leaned heavily into long-term recovery analytics. A 2025 study tracking nearly 1 million nights of data found that consistent wear was associated with lower resting heart rate, increased heart rate variability and more stable sleep patterns. And a peer-reviewed sleep study showed that improved sleep regularity boosted performance-related markers such as heart rate variability and cardiorespiratory fitness.

A 2025 paper evaluating several consumer wearables reported that the Oura Generation 3 and 4 rings and the WHOOP 4.0 produced reliable resting heart rate and heart rate variability estimates when compared with clinical-grade chest straps.

Health wearables are no longer only counting beats; they are identifying trends athletes often overlook while juggling training, school and everything in between.

Sports-specific biomechanics are shifting the same way.

A 2025 article explored how AI systems built on machine learning, neural networks and computer vision are now central to how movement is analyzed across sports. These tools can automate technical diagnostics and give athletes individualized feedback that once required expensive labs.

Researchers still highlight challenges with data standards, validation and questions around privacy and bias, but accessibility is improving fast. As sensors and software evolve, advanced biomechanical analysis is becoming available far beyond elite settings.

Footwear design is undergoing its own shift, even if the AI component remains in its early stages.

Much of the innovation surrounding “super shoes” has sparked controversy within the running community despite its use in previously inhuman feats, such as Eliud Kipchoge’s sub-two hour marathon. The shoes used during that historic run, Nike’s Alphafly, highlights how midsole stiffness, rocker geometry and plate design influence running economy.

While this is not exactly AI in a shoe, it reflects a broader trend: Modern footwear is increasingly shaped by data-driven modeling, and those design choices ultimately affect race outcomes, training behavior and even injury patterns.

But film and movement analysis add another layer.

AI-supported tracking systems widely used in basketball and soccer are beginning to inform individual sports as well. Second Spectrum, which provides data and tracking for leagues like the NBA’s G League, uses machine learning to automatically identify actions and movement tendencies during games.

Running might not yet have a direct equivalent, but the foundation is visible. With enough stride data, a model could flag inefficiencies faster than a coach watching in real time. Several of the research tools already mentioned are edging in that direction.

None of this replaces good coaching, of course. Technology can overwhelm athletes with more information than they need, and both wearable brands and biomechanics researchers noted that data only helps when applied correctly. Behavior change, training load and technical improvement still rely on human decisions.

But the broader direction is unmistakable.

Distance running is becoming a blend of intuition and analysis, feel and feedback. And athletes do not need a professional biomechanics lab to access high-level insights anymore. A wearable, a phones and a few smart tools can now deliver information that many programs could not have obtained a decade ago.

The tools are no longer reserved for elite competitors. They are becoming accessible to everyday runners looking to improve sleep, recovery and efficiency.

And that is where AI may ultimately have the biggest impact in athletics.

Reach Michael Hovey at sports@collegian.com or on social media @michaelfhovey.

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