How do you sprint in Elden Ring?

Movement in Elden Ring is one of the biggest variables that can dictate if you will kill or be killed by enemies and bosses, you come by on your journey through the Lands Between. While it may seem simple, difficult mechanics to learn early on in Elden Ring is how to sprint in the game.

The concept involves not only knowing how to perform the sprinting action but also how your character’s movement changes and what that means for you. You may not want to always spring, either, especially you’re trying to escape a particular enemy or boss chasing after you. Here’s what you need to know about how to sprint and what it does for you in Elden Ring.

How does sprinting work in Elden Ring?

The default button for sprinting is the same one you use for your dodge roll and backstep in Elden Ring. If you’re already using these buttons regularly, rather than clicking them, hold down the button and keep moving forward. After a short period, your moving character will pick up speed and sprint. If they are in combat, their stamina meter will start to go down. However, if they are out of combat, sprinting does not lose any stamina, which is a huge bonus compared to other Dark Souls games.

For PC players, accidental dodges instead of a run are one of the most common mistakes when learning to utilize the running mechanic. A quick trick is to spend at least two seconds walking before you begin to hold the dodge button so that you can run. You want to focus on tapping the button rather than hitting it down if you’d like to proceed forward.

There’s always the option to select when you want to use movement control, though, if you’re using a mouse and keyboard while playing Elden Ring. You can find this when playing on a PC at the top of the key bindings page. Here, you can click when you want to default for your character to walk while exploring, which is a much slower movement. Similar to running, you do have to hold this key to continue the slow pace. This might be helpful for you if you’re trying to complete a tricky movement or jump at a certain point.

The tab key is a good option if you’re looking for a better key to use while playing on PC. Shift is another optimal option you don’t use on other keys, although you might run into the problem using your Strong Attack or skills, which require pressing the shift and mouse buttons. If you can keep these separate in your mind, these might be better options than relying on the spacebar.

You don’t want to run from every enemy. Because your stamina goes down while sprinting in combat, it might be better to conserve your stamina meter by carefully choosing when to run. However, if you’re going down a Dexterity build, you might have more stamina than the average Elden Ring player, and you can afford to use it much more often.

Still, while sprinting is a simple mechanic, you don’t want to use it in every instance. You want to toe the line with having enough stamina to swing your sword or dodge an attack and be able to run away if you can outmaneuver an enemy. Watch your stamina meter while sprinting, and feel free to modify your key bindings. However, if you do, know that your roll and backstep keys are tied to sprinting, so those change with it. You cannot separate those three movements from each other, unfortunately.