RUNNING FORM, MADE SIMPLE
Running Cadence Explained: Why 180 Steps Per Minute Is a Myth, and What Actually Works.
Cadence is the easiest part of your running form to fix, and the one with the biggest payoff. But the number you've heard quoted everywhere is wrong, and chasing it can do more harm than good.
Cadence is the number of steps you take per minute when you run. It's the most measurable part of running form, and it has a direct effect on injury risk, efficiency and how easy your running feels. The problem is that almost everything you've read about it boils down to "aim for 180" and that's a number from a single 1984 Olympic data point that has been wildly misapplied ever since.
This is the beginner's guide to cadence: what it is, what yours probably is right now, why higher is generally better, and how to nudge it up by 5 to 10 per cent without overhauling your stride.
What Cadence Actually Is
Cadence (sometimes called step rate) is one of two halves of your running speed. The other half is stride length. Speed = cadence × stride length, and you can change either one. Most beginners try to run faster by lengthening their stride. That's the wrong lever, because over-striding is a leading cause of injury and lost energy.
Increasing cadence instead, even slightly, shortens your stride, brings your foot down underneath you rather than out in front of you, and reduces the braking force every time you land. Less braking = less impact = less wasted energy.
BEGINNERS
155-170
spm typical range
EFFICIENT RUNNERS
170-185
spm at easy pace
SAFE LIFT
+5%
at a time, not more
The 180 Myth
The 180 number comes from a coach called Jack Daniels who counted strides at the 1984 Olympics. Every elite runner in his sample ran at 180 spm or higher, even at slower paces. It became "the magic number" and 40 years of running advice has repeated it.
Here's the problem. Those were elite athletes running fast. Cadence rises with pace. The same runner doing an easy jog will be 10 to 15 spm slower than they are at race pace. Telling a beginner to hit 180 on a Sunday shuffle is asking them to take baby steps and feel ridiculous.
The actual evidence-based target is to run at a cadence that's around 5 to 10 per cent higher than your current natural one, whatever that is. If you're at 160, aim for 170. If you're at 170, try 178. The improvement is in the relative change, not the absolute number.
How to Find Your Current Cadence
You don't need a smartwatch. Two ways to measure it:
- Manual count: On an easy run, count every time your right foot lands for 30 seconds, then double it, then double it again. That's your steps per minute. (One side × 4 = total steps).
- Watch or app: Most modern running watches and apps (including Edge) log cadence as a default metric. Look at your average cadence over a steady run.
Do this on an easy run, not a sprint. Easy pace is the cadence you actually need to fix, because that's where most of your weekly running happens.
The Three Drills That Lift Your Cadence
DRILL 1
Run to a metronome
Set a phone metronome to your target cadence (say 170 bpm) and try to land a foot on every beat for one minute. Then go back to your normal stride for two minutes. Repeat 4 to 6 times during an easy run.
DRILL 2
Music with the right BPM
Find a Spotify playlist at your target tempo and let your feet sync with it. Easier than a metronome, and you'll be surprised how quickly your stride changes.
DRILL 3
Strides at the end of easy runs
After an easy run, do 4 × 20 second strides at near-sprint pace with full recovery. High cadence happens automatically at speed, and the pattern carries over to easy pace within a few weeks.
The Two Common Mistakes
MISTAKE 1
Trying to jump 20 spm at once
Your aerobic system can't handle a sudden cadence shock. Going from 160 to 180 in a week makes every run feel like a sprint and your heart rate spike. Aim for 5 to 8 spm at a time. Hold for two weeks. Then add another 5.
MISTAKE 2
Shrinking the stride instead of quickening it
High cadence isn't tiny shuffling steps. It's the same stride happening faster, with the foot landing closer to your body. If you feel like you're tapping the ground, you've gone too far the wrong way.
The Bottom Line
Forget 180. Find your number, then aim for 5 to 10 per cent more. Use a metronome or a tempo playlist for short bursts on easy runs and let it become natural. Add strides once a week to lock the pattern in. Within a month most runners feel lighter, recover quicker between sessions, and start dropping injury frequency.
Cadence is the cheapest, fastest improvement you can make to your running form. No new shoes. No new gait. Just a slightly faster step.
FORM, TRACKED FOR YOU
See Your Cadence Climb Week by Week
Edge logs your cadence from your watch on every run, charts the trend, and slots in cadence drills and strides automatically. You don't have to count steps, you just see your form improve.
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