Is 180 cadence a myth?

Where the 180 number came from

In 1984 a coach sat in the stands at the Olympics and counted steps. Almost every distance runner he watched took more than 180 steps per minute. He wrote it down as a rule.

Two things get lost in the retelling. Those runners were racing at speeds most of us will never touch. And cadence rises with speed. The same athletes jog their easy miles at 160 to 170. Nobody counted those.

So 180 is a description of fast people running fast. It was never a prescription for a 10 minute mile.

Why 180 cadence running is still repeated

It is easy to remember. It fits on a watch face. And for some runners it does help. A runner who takes long reaching strides at 155 will often feel better at 165. They credit the rule, when the real fix was a shorter stride.

That is the useful part of the myth. Higher cadence is one way to stop the foot landing far ahead of the hip. It is not the only way, and 180 is not the only number.

What the number should depend on

Three things move your natural cadence. Speed, leg length, and habit. A tall runner with long legs at an easy pace can sit at 160 with a foot landing right under the hip. A short runner at the same pace might be at 185. Both are fine.

The number that matters is not cadence alone. It is cadence together with where the foot lands. Low cadence with a foot far ahead of the body is the pattern worth changing. Low cadence with a foot under the body is just how you are built.

See what is a good running cadence for the full range.

What to aim for instead

Look at your landing first. If the foot reaches, take your current easy cadence and add 5 percent. From 158 to 166. Hold that for three or four weeks, then check again on video. Stop when the foot lands under you.

If the foot already lands under you, leave cadence alone. Chasing 180 for its own sake makes runners take short choppy steps and tires the calves for no gain. Read how to increase cadence without a watch for the drills.

How to check it with Caden

1. Tap Run a new analysis and set up a side-on shot. Film 10 to 20 seconds at your normal easy pace.
2. The results screen shows your cadence in the cadence chip next to the date, counted from the video.
3. Open the Where your foot lands dial. If it scores well, your cadence is fine whatever the number says.
4. If foot landing scores low, open Breakpoints and look at the Foot strike frame. A foot well ahead of the hip means cadence is worth raising.

FAQ

Is 180 cadence good?

For fast running, yes. For easy running it is higher than most people need. Many strong runners jog at 165 to 172.

Can cadence be too high?

Yes. If you push cadence far above your natural number at easy pace, steps get short and tense and the calves tire. Add 5 percent at a time and stop when the foot lands under you.

Does a higher cadence make you faster?

Not by itself. Speed is stride length times cadence. Raising cadence helps when it removes a reaching stride. It does not help when the stride is already good.