What is Cadence in Running

If you are looking for information on what is cadence running, you are in the right spot. Learn from our professional coaches and let us help you improve your running experience.

Cadence is essentially the number of steps a runner takes per minute (SPM), and it is essential to understand how to train for your next race.

What is Running Cadence

To reiterate, cadence is the measurement of how many steps a runner takes per minute. For a runner to understand his or her own obstacles, the runner must first understand his or her own cadence and how it affects results. For example, longer strides will produce lower cadences, typically decreasing speed and increasing the risk of injury. As a common rule of thumb, shorter strides in which your foot lands underneath your body will produce a larger cadence, increasing speed and decreasing injury risk.
You may be wondering how shorter strides with lower cadences will decrease injury risk. Well, let us explain. The longer the stride you have while running, the higher up in the air you must lift your body to account for this increased distance, and the farther away your foot lands from your center of gravity. A longer stride can create a more forceful impact on your muscles, joints, and bones upon landing. This increases your risk of injury from running.

Improve your Running Cadence

As a runner, understanding your cadence is essential when training to increase speed and decrease injury risk. The RunDoyen coaches are pros at training their runners to increase cadence and produce results! The first step to the champion’s block is investing in your pre-race training with RunDoyen.

What is a Good Running Cadence

A good running cadence is subjective and depends on the runner, but an optimal range has been determined. However, the degree of effect that cadence has on your results as a runner has also been questioned. To find out what determines cadence and how much cadence really matters, Geoff Burns had the top 20 elite male and female runners record their cadence during the 100K International Association of Ultrarunners World Championship in 2016.
This field study conducted by ultramarathoner Geoff Burns showed that there was an average of 182 steps taken per minute, but, ultimately, the cadence observed in the ultramarathoners had a great degree of variability. This made Burns question the reason that cadence was relied on so heavily in the past to increase speed, reserve energy, and decrease the risk of injury. The takeaway from these observations portrayed cadence as a personalized number that should be monitored and understood in terms of what your body is telling you is normal.
So, to answer the question “What is a Good Running Cadence” you as the runner must conduct some trial-and-error running tests to record your average cadence. Understanding your cadence can help you monitor your speed and stride length during a competition, and understanding how many strides per minute (SPM) your cadence increases as you increase your speed can help you safely accelerate and avoid injury. All of this may sound like a lot to keep track of during training, but that’s where a reliable coach, like those at RunDoyen, can really benefit you. To begin optimizing your results as a runner, contact RunDoyen today for a top-of-the-line coach that will get you to the winner’s circle.

What RunDoyen Offers

Training to meet new personal goals and do your best at future competitions is an intense process that requires a lot of knowledge about your personal running capabilities. This is an understandably large amount of information to retain, and it can become overwhelming when trying to keep track of your stats while also pushing yourself to improve. This is where coaches come into the picture, and we at RunDoyen have the best coaches and the best running training plans (links to Running Training Plans page).

Whether you are looking to qualify for the Boston Marathon or are looking for a 5k training plan beginner (links to 5k training plan page), RunDoyen has a training plan that will help you achieve your goals. But even more rewarding are our coaches. We offer three different levels of coaching at three different price levels, so the entire process is customizable. You can either choose a coach or be matched with one, and that coach will get to know your running history through a training questionnaire and a scheduled meeting. Head over to our “Coaching Services” page to learn more about how RunDoyen’s coaches can benefit you!

FAQ

How important is cadence in running?

As a runner, cadence is essential to understanding your speed and energy output. A “good” cadence is subjective and depends on the runner’s height, speed, terrain, etc., so there really is not a set number that you as a runner should strive for to become faster. However, a runner should be knowledgeable about his or her own cadence and know how to increase or decrease it when it is necessary. For example, your normal cadence on flat terrain may need to increase to accommodate energy reserve on an uphill incline, or, vice versa, decrease to accommodate stability on a downhill slope. With this being said, cadence is very important in running, but an “ideal” cadence does not necessarily exist. Understanding and maintaining your personal cadence can help you manage your pace, know when and how to accelerate or decelerate, conserve energy, and prevent injury.

How do you improve running cadence?

Increasing running cadence is a topic of interest for most runners. Increasing running cadence will help runners increase speed, conserve energy, and decrease the risk of injury. In fact, increasing your cadence by 5% has proven to reduce knee stress, and increasing your cadence by 10% has proven to reduce knee and hip stress. Knowing the benefits of an increased cadence, you as a runner are probably asking “how can I do this?” Well, let us give you some tips on how to safely and effectively increase your cadence. To begin, increasing your running cadence is not something that you should go into with hopes of achieving in minimal time. If you are setting out to increase your cadence, then the best decision will be to set an achievable goal (maybe increase by 5%-10%) and to progressively work at that goal until it becomes natural. To help you manage your pace during a run, try using a metronome and running to its beat. This is where the support of a professional, top-of-the-line coach can make a huge difference. Look into the training programs and coaching that RunDoyen offers today!

what is a good cadence for running

There is no such thing as a universal “good” cadence for running because every runner is different. Runners come in all shapes, sizes, proportions, etc, so why should there be a predetermined cadence that is best suited for all these different types of runners? The answer is there should not be a predetermined cadence for everyone. Many people agree that a cadence above 170 steps per minute is going to be more efficient than any cadence below that number, but that does not limit runners to a specific number. Generally, a good cadence is one in which your foot lands directly below your center of gravity, i.e. your body. This landing will help you maintain stability, conserve energy, and decrease your risk of injury. A good cadence is also one that you can maintain and keep pace with, increasing or decreasing with control as the terrain or competition calls for it.

Is a higher cadence better?

A higher cadence typically implies a shorter stride length, meaning that your knees and hips are not enduring as high of an impact as they would under a lower running cadence. A higher running cadence is also very beneficial to runners in a lot of other important areas. First, a higher running cadence is associated with running faster and increasing your running pace.. The more steps you take per minute will mean that you are moving faster to fit those steps in, propelling you farther in that minute at a faster pace. Second, running with a higher running cadence means that you can run for longer with a lower risk of injury. As stated before, the higher your cadence the less impact your joints sustain. This decreased impact allows you to run for a longer period of time without inflicting injury on yourself. Finally, a higher running cadence will allow you to run farther. You may be thinking, “well obviously, if you are running faster, then you will go farther per minute.” But, while that is true, we are not talking about your speed. Remember, the higher your running cadence the shorter your stride length. This decreased stride length helps you to conserve energy throughout your run, providing you with more energy and improved endurance. As a runner, all of these qualities associated with a higher cadence should leave you asking “how can I improve my cadence?” Well, we can help you with that! RunDoyen offers professional and reliable coaches and training plans for any level. Invest in your performance today and be a champion tomorrow!

How can increasing cadence reduce injury?

Running is a very healthy activity that is great for keeping your body toned and your joints taut, but it has its negative side effects, too. Like anything else, too much running will have detrimental effects on your joints, bones, muscles, connective tissues, etc. So does this mean that we should not run or do other impact exercises? Definitely not! As we said before, running is very beneficial for your body and can help you maintain overall health as you age, so how can you live healthily without also damaging parts of your body? An estimated 56% of recreational runners sustain a running-related injury related to the high impact forces of running. Increasing step frequency (cadence) while maintaining a consistent speed has been shown to be an effective way to lower impact forces which may reduce injury risk. (2) To do this, focus on taking smaller steps and landing your foot under your center of gravity. Also, it is important to avoid launching too far off the ground while running because this results in a higher impact with each foot landing on your body and putting you at a higher risk for injury. If you are an avid runner, then we encourage you to look into how you can best preserve the mechanical health of your body while strengthening your cardiovascular health and overall tone.

Reach Out To Us Today!

For many, running is a way of life. An avid runner will prioritize their training in order to meet their goals, and we at RunDoyen understand your passion and the stake that you place in it. We understand it because running and striving for a healthy and competitive lifestyle is also our passion. That’s what makes us such a trusted and reliable resource for runners looking for your professional coaches and effective training plans. We understand what you need and want as a runner! If you are looking for a top-tier coach to personally work with you on improving your cadence, technique, or anything else running related, then we are here to help. We are affiliated with only the best coaching staff, and our entire process is personalized to you as the customer and athlete. You will select your desired coaching package, decide your preferred coach, complete a training questionnaire about your personal stats and goals, have a coaching meeting about your information and training expectations, and enter into a top-of-the-line and completely personalized training program. RunDoyen also offers training plans for different types of races and distance goals. We have plans to serve you if you are training for a 5K or trying to qualify for Boston Marathon. Regardless of your current running capabilities, we offer a training plan that can help you efficiently and realistically improve your performance. We at RunDoyen are invested in delivering world-class coaching and training to passionate runners, like yourself! We love to help runners connect with coaches or get involved with a training plan that we know they will succeed with, so look into all that we offer and how it can help you improve your running performance. To take the first step towards the winner’s circle, contact RunDoyen today.