Running cadence

Cadence — the number of steps per minute — comes up often in running advice. Understood correctly, it's a simple lever to run more efficiently and get injured less.

What is cadence?

It's the number of steps (both feet) you take in one minute. Most amateur runners fall between 160 and 180 steps/minute. Your watch usually measures it automatically.

The myth of "180 steps/minute"

You hear that you "must" run at 180. In reality, there's no magic number: your ideal cadence depends on your height, speed and build. The useful idea behind this number: many runners have a cadence that's too low and would benefit from increasing it slightly.

Why increase a cadence that's too low?

A low cadence often comes with an overstretched stride: your foot lands far in front of your body, which slows you down and sends a shock to your knee and hip. Increasing cadence a bit shortens your stride, brings the push closer under your body and reduces stress — useful for preventing injuries.

How to increase it (without getting injured)

Make small adjustments: aim for +5% only at first (e.g. from 165 to 173). Run a few minutes to a metronome (or music at the right tempo), then return to natural, alternating between the two. Within a few weeks, the new cadence settles in without thinking about it.

Don't confuse it with "running faster"

Increasing cadence doesn't mean speeding up: at the same pace, you're just taking smaller, more frequent steps. Work on it mainly during your easy runs.

Long-term monitoring

Sports Coach AI tracks the evolution of your cadence and stride over sessions, and alerts you to useful trends to run more efficiently and sustainably.