Do what you enjoy. Honestly.
This is a very common question and it generates some heated debate. So let me be straight with you rather than pretend there’s more certainty here than there is.
Stretching has very little scientific evidence to support its use for preventing injury or improving performance. But there isn’t much evidence against it either. It mostly seems to be neutral.
Anyone telling you confidently that you must stretch, or that you must never stretch, has gone further than the research allows.
Why it feels like it helps
Because it does feel good, and that’s not nothing. Stretching increases your tolerance to the stretch sensation, which is why a muscle feels looser afterwards even when nothing about its length has meaningfully changed.
If ten minutes of stretching makes you feel ready to run, or helps you wind down afterwards, that’s a legitimate reason to do it. Just don’t expect it to be the thing that keeps you injury-free.
A better use of the same twenty minutes
If you’ve got twenty minutes to spend on something other than running, I’d put it here instead.
Where the evidence is stronger
- Strength and conditioning. A carefully set up plan supports your running and reduces injury risk. This one genuinely has evidence behind it.
- A proper warm-up. Not static stretching — easy running, gradually building, some drills. Get the tissue warm and the nervous system awake.
- Sleep. Unglamorous, and probably the highest-return recovery tool you have.
- Managing your load. Sensible progression beats every recovery gadget on the market.
If you do want to stretch
Then stretch. Nobody’s stopping you, and I’m not going to pretend it’s harmful.
One small practical point: long static holds immediately before a hard session can briefly reduce power output. Not a disaster, but if you’re about to do intervals, save the static work for afterwards and warm up with movement instead.
The bigger point
A lot of running advice is delivered with far more confidence than the evidence supports. Stretching is a good example — strong opinions in both directions, thin research underneath.
When someone tells you there’s one right answer to a question like this, that’s usually a signal to be a little sceptical. Including when it’s me.
Want a plan built around what actually works for you? That’s what an online assessment is for.
Run happy and injury free.
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