Cadence Trainer
Practice your step rhythm with a metronome, and see how cadence shapes your pace.
Think you can hold 175 spm? Tap the button (or your spacebar) like your feet would hit the ground — 10 taps and we'll score you.
Your speed = cadence × stride length. At a fixed pace, a quicker cadence means shorter steps — which usually means less overstriding and less impact.
What is running cadence?
Cadence is how many steps you take per minute. Most recreational runners land between 150 and 170 spm; faster, more economical runners tend to sit in the 170–185 range. You may have heard that 180 is the magic number — it isn't. It came from observing elite racers, and your ideal cadence depends on your height, pace, and build. What is true: many runners overstride at low cadences, and nudging cadence up by about 5% reduces braking forces and impact per step.
How to train your cadence
Don't jump from 160 to 180 overnight — increase by roughly 5% at a time. Start the metronome at your current cadence plus a few beats, run short segments in sync (30–60 seconds), and relax between them. Do this a couple of times per week and the quicker rhythm becomes automatic within weeks. Shorter, quicker steps at the same effort — your pace stays, the pounding drops.
Not sure what pace to plug in? Work out your current numbers with the Pace Calculator, or plan a full race with the Split Time Generator.