We all want to run faster, more efficiently, with less effort and without risk of injury. There are many things you can do to improve your running technique, such as working on your cadence.
What is cadence
Cadence (or stride rate) is the number of steps a runner takes in one minute. Cadence is one of two factors that determine a runner’s speed (the other being stride length).
Advanced runners have a higher stride frequency because they tend to run faster than beginners. Elite athletes run at a cadence of about 180 steps/min or more, while most amateurs will have a cadence of 150-170.
Is there a universal stride frequency that suits everyone?
The oft-mentioned “ideal cadence” has been described by coach Jack Daniels and, in his opinion, is 180 steps per minute. Daniels noted that elite runners typically run at exactly 180-200 steps per minute.
For example, en route to his world record of 2:03:59 at the 2008 Berlin Marathon, Haile Gebreselassie ran at 197 steps per minute.
Cadence when running
The cadence of runner Abebe Bikila (2:12:13, Tokyo Marathon 1964, a world record at the time) was as high as 217 steps per minute
Subsequently, 180 ppm has become a kind of “philosopher’s stone” for amateur runners and a benchmark to which they aspire. But not everything is so unambiguous.
The cadence will also be different at different speeds. The optimal cadence varies from runner to runner and at different running speeds. For example, the same athlete will have a cadence of 160 steps when jogging, but during tempo training it may well be above 180.
There is no single stride rate that everyone should strive for: the optimal cadence for each runner is based on many things, including current pace, as well as height, weight, leg length and running ability.
But while there are no general guidelines, there are many benefits to tracking your cadence and working to increase it: it can help you increase your running efficiency, reduce your risk of injury, reduce muscle damage during training, and improve your running performance.
How cadence matters
If your stride cadence is low, it may mean you’re taking big strides by landing in front of yourself and braking forward. This way creates more force when you land, slowing you down and putting more strain on your bones and joints.
From a biomechanical perspective, the slower the stride rate, the more work your body does with each step. The higher the stride rate, the “lighter” it is: by reducing the amount of ground contact time, you minimize the amount of work your body has to do for each foot strike, thereby reducing the risk of injury on the run.