This is a topic that has driven me crazy for years!  I'm glad you covered it.  I had a trainer tell me after a running analysis that my cadence was too slow and that I should aim for 180.  In the test I was running around 165... but I was running easy.  I tried to incorporate a 180 cadence over the next few weeks and on my easy runs I would end up taking short, stuttering strides to keep the pace slow but the cadence high.  I developed some terrible knee pain because I was not landing properly with each stride because I was artificially modifying my cadence to hit a particular number.  On my threshold runs it was easy to hit 180 with no problem or pain.  On intervals I was having to extend my stride way to long to keep it at 180 and not above (like 200 when I'm running intervals comfortably fast).  I figure that your speed is going to be based on your stride length x cadence.  If you have 1m strides, and 180 cadence, you are going to run 180m in a minute. or around 8:56 mile pace.  You can increase your speed by either increasing your stride length OR increasing your cadence (or a combination of both).  For ME (and maybe other people are different), I think the best thing to do is to focus on your stride form, make sure you and landing properly and comfortably (not over or under striding), and let cadence be what it is.  My easy runs I do at around 160-165 cadence, my tempo/threshold are around 170-185, my intervals are around 195-205.  But I'm focusing more on good form and not over/under striding as opposed to a hitting a particular cadence number.  Cadence is a result measurement and not a guiding measurement.  It can be useful in helping to give you information about your running and running form, but it should not be used to have you hit a particular number.  Everyone (and every run type easy/cruise/fast, hills, flat, trail) is going to give you a different cadence number and it really shouldn't be a benchmark for form.  It's just another variable in the equation like stride length, pace, height, speed, etc.  The problem is when someone as reputable and brilliant as Jack Daniels says something, people sometimes think that the number is what is important and try to apply this "golden" number to all runners, all run types, speeds, etc., and that can cause more harm than good.  IMHO... but who am I?  Nobody really, just a thought.

I apparently have been way over-striding for 20 years now. As I’ve gotten older, I developed low back pain after about 2 or 3 miles. I found this video and the back pain has subsided as I’ve gotten closer to 175 cadence. Unfortunately, I did it too quick and strained my calf, but it’s healing quick and my back pain is almost non-existent after struggling for 5 years or so.

Rope skipping is hands down the best tool and most overlooked too far runners. Easiest way to get your body and mind comfortable with higher cadence ( higher cadence leads to less impact which also helps you run even when your old ). Rope skipping also give runner the technic needed to run super slow without damaging themself as some actually can't really run slow as they weirdly use close to the same technic as heir regular pace. Definitely best to get your body used to a bit higher cadence.

This helps so much. My easy run is around 140 to 150 . I know the adrenaline in the first miles will carry me alo g nicely, 2nd 10 will come mostly from metrónomo and the last 6.2 from the prep, mind and gut. Your advice is excellent.

Thanks for your content. this is Gem !

There are many videos about this, however, only a few with actual plans to improve. The metronome and the music are good advice. Hear about straightening the shoulders and moving arms faster...but what about a video on actually how to increase cadence?

Great video. Thank you!

Thank you, very informative

After 5 decades of poor running form - over striding, heel striking, I am finally using the Float Run Harness to correct my stride length and cadence. The motion is all about "pushing the ground back" rather than over striding out with front foot. The propulsive forces comes from the hips-hanstrings-glutes, rather than the lower leg. The forward foot plant should be directly below the knee (i.e. point of foot landing on ground). Since using the FLHarness, my already slow pace has slowed even more! But this is part of the rewiring process I have to go through after a lifetime of poor form.

Could you incorporate how this fits with running form? And any tips to maintain good form?

I think one key thing for me is my pace dictates my cadence, like as a new runner myself my easy runs are around 7:00/km and it’s pretty impossible to run that slow with 180spm

During my pace workouts I try push it up to 170 as cadence is a focus for me at the moment

I increased my outdoor cadence by using a running machine occasionally.

Increasing my cadence to 175 solved my knee and hip pain. I simply stopped sinking into those joints and the joints were under load on the ground for less time. It took a good 3 months though for 170 plus cadence to feel normal.

I am 6'4 and tried to up my cadence to around 170, but my easy runs I run very slow at around 6.5 minutes per KM pace. I find that the runs felt much harder and I feel unnatural, has anyone got any advice for me? I just feel like at this space my strides are so short it's actually inefficient overall. I'm having to move my body a lot more.

Def helpful info 👍🏻I’d def like to increase my cadence - I’m NOT a runner by design & My current AVER 165-168 when just running
I’m shooting for 3% increase
170-173 goal so will try your 1 min suggestion TU 🤗

Great video, Alex. I’d be interested to know how much body lean affects this. I feel like, if I am running faster repeats on the track then I am leant further forward (faster cadence), but at easy pace I naturally sit back over my feet, and it’s hard to maintain a high enough cadence. Should I try to lean forward more at easy paces, do you think? Thanks!

Great video Alex. I find my cadence is definitely related to my speed. I frequently count my steps when I do a treadmill workout because what else am I going to do? :) At an easy warm up pace I'm usually around 172 steps, but at mid-level sprints I'm in the high 190s. For outdoor runs I looked at my last 2 easy runs and saw average cadence of 179 & 181 according to the garmin, but had a max of 192 & 201, likely when I was penguin shuffling over some icy spots. My last half marathon race my average cadence was 186 with a 202 max. I do find those cadence playlists help when you're first trying to make some minor alterations to your cadence, but there's only so much Abba I can take. Ha ha.

This video give me another question: The height is key to determinate the ideal cadence?

Halo alex, ini yang saya cari tentang cadence. Dari semua video youtube yang telah saya tonton, penjelasanmu yang saya butuhkan. Bolehkah saya bertanya? Kenapa pelari pemula rata-rata cadencenya 160an spm? Dan untuk menaikkannya butuh usaha yang besar? Saya sedang mencoba menaikkan cadence dari 165 menjadi 170an, kenapa HR saya menjadi cepat naik? Apakah memang butuh penyesuaian? Terima kasih Alex.

How to improve it the other way round, that is DEcrease it? My easy run cadence is 180 and my 5k cadence is over 200. I can't get any faster as it is the cadence that limits me. What to do?