Running Cadence: Why 170–180 Steps a Minute Actually Matters
By Dr. Rachelle Barrett, DPT — Performance Physical Therapist, Rehab 2 Perform Gambrills | September 2026
Why I Count Steps Before I Ever Talk About Pace
I had a runner in this week training for her second half marathon. No injury, no complaints. She just wanted to know if there was anything left on the table before her next block.
We put her on the treadmill and I did something that always catches people off guard. I didn’t look at her pace. I checked her running cadence.
Fifty-three steps on her right foot in fifteen seconds. Multiply by eight and her cadence came out to 156 steps per minute. She had no idea that number existed, let alone what it meant.
Running cadence doesn’t show up on a watch face the way pace or heart rate does, so it stays invisible. But it tells us something pace never will: how much time your foot spends on the ground and how far out in front of your hips it’s landing when it gets there.
Her number told me exactly where to look next. Sure enough, her stride was landing well ahead of her center of mass, absorbing more impact than it needed to on every single step.
That’s the thing about cadence. It’s not the problem. It’s the readout.
170. That’s the Number.
The range we look for is 170 to 180 steps per minute. Below that, you’re usually spending more time on the ground per step, which means a longer stride out in front of your hips and more impact absorbed on landing.
Get closer to that range and the opposite happens. Shorter stride, less ground contact, less impact. Same pace, less effort.
This isn’t about locking onto an exact number forever. It’s about knowing where you sit right now, because that tells you whether there’s a gear sitting unused.
Cadence isn’t one-size-fits-all either. A 5’2″ runner and a 6’2″ runner aren’t chasing the same number for the same reason. Height, leg length, and pace all shift where your ideal cadence actually sits. 170–180 is a useful range for most recreational runners, not a rule carved in stone.
How to Check Your Running Cadence in 15 Seconds
You won’t have a camera and a treadmill on your next run, but you don’t need one to get a useful number. Here’s the field version.
- Get moving at your normal easy pace.
- Count how many times your right foot hits the ground over 15 seconds.
- Multiply that number by 8.
- That’s your cadence.
Under 170? That’s not a problem. It’s information. It means there’s a change available that could make every mile after this one feel a little different.
At 170 or above already? You’re ahead of most of the runners who try this. Still worth knowing.
The Cadence Mistake We See Most
The mistake we see more often than a low number is runners forcing a high cadence by taking short, choppy steps without changing anything about how they’re actually landing.
That’s not the fix. The goal isn’t more steps for the sake of more steps. It’s landing closer to underneath your hips instead of out in front of them.
When your foot lands farther ahead, you absorb more of the braking force created with every step. Land closer to your center of mass and you move over your foot more smoothly, with less of that force working against you.
Cadence is the symptom you can count. Where your foot lands is the actual cause.
How to Actually Change It
If your number came in low and you want to experiment with a higher turnover, start by increasing your current cadence by about 10 percent. If it’s already close to that range, work toward 170 directly.
A metronome app can help you find the rhythm. A playlist built around your target cadence works too, and it’s a more enjoyable way to find the beat.
Use it in short intervals during an easy run, then return to your normal rhythm for a few minutes before repeating. The goal isn’t to hold a new cadence for an entire run. It’s to give your body a chance to feel a different rhythm and see how it responds.
Know Your Number Before It Costs You Something
Cadence won’t announce itself. It won’t show up as pain and it won’t slow you down in a way you’ll notice mid-run. It just quietly determines how much force you’re absorbing, stride after stride, for as long as you keep running.
Count it. Test it on purpose. Give it the same attention you give your splits. The runners who stay healthy longest aren’t the ones who never find something to work on. They’re the ones who go looking for it first.
Take the Guesswork Out of Your Training
A 15-second count gets you an estimate.
A Running Analysis gets you the full picture: cadence on film, alongside stride length, foot strike, and hip mechanics, so you know exactly what’s shaping your number and what changing it would actually take.
Dr. Rachelle Barrett, DPT is a Performance Physical Therapist and Running Specialist at Rehab 2 Perform in Gambrills, MD. She works with runners of all levels, from first-timers to triathletes, helping them identify the mechanics and strength gaps that limit performance and cause injury. Rachelle leads the Run R2P community at Gambrills and conducts running analyses for athletes across Maryland and Virginia.
Frequently Asked Questions About Running Cadence
Most recreational runners benefit from a cadence in the 170 to 180 steps per minute range. The exact number varies by height, leg length, and pace, so it’s a useful target range rather than a fixed rule.
Count how many times your right foot hits the ground over 15 seconds while running at your normal pace, then multiply by 8. That gives you a fast estimate you can check on any run.
Not by itself. A low cadence usually means a longer stride landing further in front of your hips, which increases the impact your body absorbs on each step. It’s information about where to look next, not a diagnosis on its own.
Not by shortening your steps without changing anything else. The goal is landing closer to underneath your hips, not just taking more of them. Increasing cadence by about 10 percent and working with a metronome or paced playlist is a better starting point than forcing choppy steps.
Yes. A 15-second count gives you an estimate you can check on any run. A running analysis captures your cadence on film alongside stride length, foot strike, and hip mechanics, so you can see exactly what’s driving your number and what changing it would actually take.
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