At our physical therapy clinics in New York City and Irvington, we talk a lot about the importance of gait and stride when running. We should also mention it's just as important to train your gait when walking in your day-to-day lives. This article from Brian Dorfman is a good one for quickly understanding the importance of gait analysis for everyone, athlete or not.
Physical Therapists, Noraxon, and AlterG Technology-- Free Running Analysis for New York Runners
Running is one of the best and most accessible sports in the world. Anyone with the will to give it a try and the open road can call themselves a runner, all it takes is deciding you're going for it and stepping- wait, running- out the front door.