Running speed is the product of two numbers and only two numbers:
Speed = Cadence × Stride Length
Want to get faster? You raise one of them, the other, or both. Sounds simple. The trap is that the two variables are not equally safe to train directly, and most recreational runners try to train the wrong one first.
This guide cuts through that. If you only read one section: raise cadence first, raise stride length second — and we'll explain why.
The two halves of every run
- Cadence (steps per minute) — how fast your legs turn over. Easy to measure, easy to change, well-tolerated by your body.
- Stride length (meters per step) — how far you travel with each step. Hard to change directly without breaking your form, but the bigger long-term lever for speed.
A runner at 170 spm × 1.0 m/step covers 170 m/min, or about 9:30/mile. The same runner at 180 spm × 1.0 m/step covers 180 m/min — 9:00/mile, without any extra reach. That's the cadence path.
Or, same starting point, but stride length jumps from 1.0 to 1.06 m — same outcome. That's the stride path.
The catch: forcing stride length on a runner who isn't ready for it almost always means reaching out with the foot rather than driving from the hips. That's overstriding, and it's the dominant cause of recreational running injuries.
Why cadence comes first
Three reasons.
1. Cadence is mechanically safer. Raising cadence shortens stride length naturally and pulls your foot strike back under your hips. Lower impact, less braking force, less knee load. The research is unusually consistent here — a 5–10% cadence increase reduces peak joint loads by ~15–20%.
2. Cadence is the limiting factor for most runners. Average recreational easy-pace cadence sits between 158 and 168 spm. Healthy range is 165–180. Most runners are below where they should be. Stride length, meanwhile, is usually fine — the problem is where the stride lands, not how long it is.
3. You can change cadence in 4 weeks. Stride length gains come from strength, mobility, and plyometric adaptations that take months. Cadence is a neuromuscular pattern; it shifts in a single training block.
For the protocol, see how to increase running cadence.
When to actually focus on stride length
You're ready to train stride length when:
- Your easy-pace cadence is already 170–180+ spm.
- Your foot is landing under or just in front of your knee at touchdown (the overstriding self-test is clean).
- You've stopped getting injured in the same spot every cycle.
- Speed plateaus aren't being solved by training volume.
At that point, stride length becomes the next lever — but it's trained indirectly. You don't reach further. You build the engine that produces a longer push.
The four things that actually expand stride length:
- Strength training. Hip extensors (glute max, hamstrings) and posterior chain. Heavy compound lifts 2x/week.
- Hill repeats. Short, steep hills (8–12 seconds) develop the powerful hip extension that lengthens the stride from behind, not in front.
- Plyometrics. Bounding, single-leg hops, and box jumps train the stretch-shortening cycle that makes each step push you further.
- Mobility work. Hip flexor length and ankle dorsiflexion both gate how long your stride can be without compensating.
What's notably missing: "taking longer steps." That's a cue that almost always backfires.
How to tell which one is holding you back
If you have access to cadence + a side-on running video, the diagnosis is straightforward:
| Symptom | Likely culprit | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Easy cadence below 165 spm | Cadence | Cadence retraining |
| Foot landing well in front of knee | Cadence + overstriding | Cadence retraining + posture |
| Cadence 170+, slow pace, low knee drive | Stride length | Strength + hills |
| Cadence 175+, you feel "small and choppy" | Stride length | Plyometrics + glute work |
| Recurring shin/knee issues | Cadence | Cadence retraining first |
If your symptom is "I want to be faster" and you don't yet know your cadence, measure it before deciding (how to measure running cadence).
The trap: trying to do both at once
Don't. Pick one for a 4–8 week block.
If you train cadence and stride length simultaneously, you'll over-stretch your stride to "make up" for the higher turnover, which is the exact failure mode cadence training was supposed to fix. Block them.
A reasonable annual structure:
- Q1: Cadence retraining block — get into the 170–180 range at easy pace.
- Q2: Stride length block — strength, hills, plyos. Cadence holds where it is.
- Q3: Race-specific work — both naturally rise together at race pace.
- Q4: Off-season — strength continues, cadence drills as touch-up.
How FormStride measures both
FormStride reports cadence on every analysis, alongside overstride distance — the horizontal gap between your foot at touchdown and the vertical line dropped from your hip. That second number is what tells you whether your current stride length is healthy or whether you're reaching. Try a free analysis with a 10-second video.