The calf muscles consist of two parts. The gastrocnemius has a lateral and medial head and it sits right beneath the knee on the back of the leg. The soleus is anterior, or in front of, the gastroc. Running is a high-impact activity that strengthens the heart and lungs. If you are trying to get bigger calves, running is not your best option.
Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic, or cardiovascular, exercise is performed in a repetitious motion for a long period of time. This causes you to burn a high amount of calories and lose weight throughout your entire body. Running is a form of cardio, so instead of making your calves larger, it will actually make them smaller.
Muscular Endurance
Plantar flexion is a motion involved with the feet and ankles. Every time you point your foot downward, you perform plantar flexion which causes you to contract your calf muscles. Muscular endurance is built when you perform multiple muscle contractions for an extended period of time. Running causes consistent plantar flexion which builds muscular endurance in your calves. This will give your calves better definition, but it will not make them bigger.
Intensity
The intensity at which you run will play a role in the size of your calves. Interval training, which involves alternating your pace back and forth from fast to slow, causes a higher caloric expenditure than steady pace training. If you run like this on a regular basis, you will further prevent your calves from becoming large.
Metabolism
Running not only works the calves, but it also works the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors and abs. This does not cause a large gain in muscle, but even a slight gain will boost your resting metabolic rate. A single pound of added muscle for example, burns an additional 30 to 50 calories a day, according to the University of Michigan Health System. This further prevents you from developing large calves. The muscle you do gain will not give you a bulky appearance. You will develop long, lean muscles instead.
Weight Training
If your goal is to develop large calves, you need to do weight training. A calf raise is a basic exercise used to build the calves. Perform this by raising your heels up from the floor as high as possible and slowly lowering yourself back down. To increase the resistance, hold dumbbells at your sides or a weighted barbell across your shoulders. This exercise places most of the emphasis on the gastroc. To work the soleus, perform calf raises from a seated position with your knees bent. You have the option of using a specific machine or just sit on a bench and hold dumbbells on your thighs.
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