What is running cadence?
When I first started running, I noticed a lot of strain in my legs. I thought I was running too far and too often, but it was actually bad running form. I was greatly increasing my chances of injury just by over-striding. You might think you’re moving fast, but big running strides are hurting your form. Taking longer strides is one way to increase speed, but the other part of the equation is to improve running cadence.
Running cadence is simply how many steps you take in a minute, and generally speaking the higher the better. This is because you’re changing where your foot lands; underneath you instead of ahead of you. Throwing your leg out farther than it needs to be slows you down, but by taking quicker steps your whole body is moving faster. Plus, you’re giving your legs a softer landing and limiting injury.
What’s considered good?
It’s been said that 180 SPM (steps per minute) is the “perfect” cadence. Coach Jack Daniels came up with this number monitoring marathoners’ SPM in the 84’ Olympics. He determined that most of these elite runners had a cadence of at least 180 SPM, some of them 200+.
180 is a great goal to reach for, but in reality, your ideal cadence depends on a number of factors: height, weight, leg length, age, etc. “Every additional inch of height was associated with a decrease of just over 3 steps per minute in cadence.” If someone 5’6” runs at 180 SPM, their 6’0” friend would run at 162 SPM.
So, what’s your optimal cadence? There’s no one size fits all answer, so you’ll have to figure that out on your own. Keep increasing your SPM until you find a comfortable pace that works for you.
How do I get my running cadence up?
Improve running cadence by slowing down – If you’re relying on big strides to run fast, you’re going to exhaust yourself early on. Slow your pace down to focus on taking more steps.
Listen to the beat– Do you want to get to 180 SPM? Try out Spotify playlists that sync up with the pace. Here’s a 180 BPM playlist if you’re up for the challenge. Here’s another running playlist at 165-170 BPM. You can find a ton of these kinds of playlists on Spotify.
Use tech – Track your cadence using an app or a smart watch. I personally wear the Under Armour HOVR shoes that track cadence via the Map My Run app. The app will tell you real time what your SPM is and will even suggest ways to improve running cadence and overall form.
Here are some screenshots I took of the Map My Run app coaching me from 168 SPM to 182!
The Nike Run Club also tracks cadence. You can see your SPM after completing your run on an Android phone. For iPhone users, you’ll have to run with your Apple Watch to see this data.
