Want to Run Faster on Race Day? Find Out if You’re a Stride Runner or Cadence Runner—Then Fix Your Weak Spot

Jump to:Stride vs. Cadence Runner: What’s the Difference?How to Identify Your Strengths and WeaknessesHow to Use the Insight to Prepare for Your Next RaceJon Mott set his marathon PR—a 2:17:20—on the famously flat and speedy course of the Berlin Marathon in 2022. Then, a few months later, he traveled to Boston for 26.2, feeling equally confident in his training, but was punished by the repeated hills and fell well short of his goal.So what happened in Boston?“At no point was I able to lock into my rhythm,” says Mott, a three-time U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier and run coach at Runnersfix. “There was no flow to the race, I guess you can say, and it just really beat me up.”Over time, Mott came to see a pattern in his contrasting performances. On flat, rhythmic courses, he could open up his stride and cruise, letting his powerful gait carry him through the finish line with little interruption. But on hilly courses, he noticed runners, who could more easily shorten their stride and adjust their turnover, often seemed better equipped to handle the change of pace that comes with an undulating course.Mott now uses this observation as a coaching lens with the runners he trains. He sees some athletes as more stride-oriented—like himself—and others as more cadence-oriented.These designations aren’t fixed labels or an automatic explanation for every race result, but they offer a clue into a runner’s strengths and weaknesses. Generally, stride runners excel on flat courses but need more hill-specific preparation, while cadence runners tend to handle hills well but need more practice on flat terrain.Here’s how to identify the pattern in your own running, why knowing your tendency could help you run your next race faster, and how to use this finding to prepare more intentionally for your next race.Stride vs. Cadence Runner: What’s the Difference?In Mott’s framework, stride runners succeed at fast paces by lengthening their stride while keeping their cadence relatively steady across all speeds. Cadence runners get faster mainly by taking more steps per minute, with a less pronounced change in stride length.Mott first came across this distinction a few years ago while looking for a new racing shoe and comparing the 2024 edition of Asics’s Metaspeed Edge and Sky models. Drawing on data from its sports-science institute, Asics separated runners who primarily lengthen their stride as they speed up from those who primarily increase their step rate, Runner’s World previously reported. The company also found that stride runners tended to land closer to the midfoot or forefoot, while cadence runners more often had smoother turnover and favored more of a heel strike.This helped Mott confirm the patterns he had noticed in his own races, and then he expanded that idea into his clients’ plans, using it to help figure out their strengths and where they might need more practice.“Stride-dominant runners tend to rely more on stride length to generate speed,” Mott says. “But when running uphill, trying to maintain that longer stride can become inefficient and more demanding.” This explains why he felt so comfortable in Berlin—and why a hilly race such as Boston felt so difficult.Cadence runners, in Mott’s view, flourish on courses with frequent changes in terrain. Because they rely more on step frequency to get faster, Mott believes they can more readily adjust their turnover. Essentially, their shorter, quicker steps make it easier to adapt to changes when the course may disrupt those with longer strides, he says.How to Identify Your Strengths and Weaknesses“When a runner asks me to help them find which type they are, I start by looking into their [wearable] data,” Mott says, mainly their cadence numbers.Pull up your average cadence on an easy run and compare it with a recent tempo workout, interval session, or race. If your cadence barely changes when you’re running faster efforts, Mott considers you more stride-oriented. If your cadence rises notably as your pace increases, you may be a cadence runner.Mott’s general rule of thumb is that a change of around 10 to 20 steps per minute from a slow pace to a faster pace can suggest a cadence-led pattern, but he cautions against treating one run—or one number—as definitive.Take a couple weeks’ worth of data to evaluate your own running. Variables like hills, trails, grass, fatigue level, and even shoe changes can all influence cadence and stride metrics. To get the clearest read on your tendency, compare efforts completed on similar terrain and under similar conditions.Mott also sees visual hints in a runner’s gait—suggesting a pronounced and powerful knee drive can reflect the form of a stride runner and a shorter, more shuffle-like stride hints that you may be a cadence runner—but he considers these signals secondary to the data.How to Use the Insight to Prepare for Your Next RaceBefore you change a single workout, Mott says it’s worth remembering what this information cannot tell you: “I don’t think either one is better or worse,” Mott says. “They both have their advantages.”This also means you shouldn’t treat the category you happen to fall into as a reason to chase a supposedly perfect cadence or deliberately force a longer stride. Mott suggests if your training is progressing, you’re racing well, and you’re not getting injured, there’s little reason to tinker with your mechanics.Instead, he suggests you use your tendency as a way to make your training more specific to your goal race, with the biggest payoff coming when you are preparing for terrain that may not naturally suit your running style.For Stride RunnersIf you are preparing for a flat marathon, keep leaning into your strengths: Put major long runs and marathon-pace workouts on flatter routes, where you can practice settling into your rhythm for uninterrupted stretches.The bigger adjustment comes when a stride runner signs up for a hilly or variable course. Instead of trying to overhaul their mechanics or chase a certain cadence number, Mott says the goal is to become more adaptable when hills disrupt the strong stride they typically rely on.Hill work gives stride runners a chance to practice taking shorter and quicker steps while building the strength needed to climb well. The key? Actually focusing on those shorter, quicker mechanics, rather than simply going at a nearly all-out effort without much thought about your approach. You want to get used to the disruption that comes from hills.This is what Mott wishes he had done before Boston. “I would have run more hills—done more marathon-pace work on the hills,” he says. The key, he adds, should have been to “get used to being thrown off rhythm” before race day.For Cadence RunnersMott sees cadence runners as naturally well suited to courses with lots of hills. If that sounds like you and your goal race is hilly, continue with your normal preparation.The adjustment comes when a cadence runner targets a pancake-flat course.Because cadence-dominant runners tend to rely more on step frequency to generate speed, the specific training goal is not to force a longer stride, but to become more efficient at a steady pace and build the muscular endurance needed when the same movement pattern repeats for 26.2 miles. (Plus, you gain the mental benefit of handling the monotony, too!)Matt Rudisill is an Associate Service Editor who has been with Runner's World since 2025. A Nittany Lion through-and-through, Matt graduated from Penn State in 2022 with a degree in journalism and worked in communications for the university's athletic department for three years as the main contact and photographer for its nationally-ranked cross country and track & field teams. Matt was also heavily involved in communications efforts for Penn State football, men's basketball, and women's gymnastics. In his role with Runner's World, Matt has interviewed Olympians, world champions, and countless experts in the field to create service content that helps runners of all ages and experience levels train smarter and race faster. When he’s not out jogging, Matt can be found tweeting bad takes about the Phillies or watching movies.