Why is 180 bpm the ideal cadence for running?

The intuitive thought is the faster you run, the faster your steps per minute. Or, runners come in different shapes and sizes with unique running gaits, therefore, that tempo will be different for everyone.

Turns out, a light quick running cadence that maximizes efficiency and minimizes risk of injury can be the same for runners regardless of their pace. The renowned goal cadence is 180 steps per minute (spm) or beats per minute (bpm) as a musical tempo. This is a guideline not a mandate and it is more achievable than the average runner may realize.

Cadence is one aspect of running that can be controlled. Unless you’re an elite runner, you probably can’t run a mile in 5 minutes no matter how hard you try. However, it is possible to strike the ground at the same number of times per minute throughout a 5, 10 or 15 minute mile pace.

It might help to think of it less like a competitive athlete and more like a dancer or musician keeping time. You can do it dramatically or with a lighter touch. The effort becomes like a volume knob that you can turn up and down, but the tempo is the same. Picking up and slowing down the cadence itself can also be useful for changing gears. It is a tool in your running toolbox when you know how to use it.

Here’s an example of how high running cadence can look different. This rough video shows Eliud Kipchoge (on the right) on the cusp of being the first human being to run a marathon in less than 2 hours. That is a 4:35 min/mile (2:50 min/km) for 26.2 miles! Next to him on the left is a Rarámuri woman about to complete an ultra marathon. I have no idea how fast she’s running, but she’s running over a dirt hill after running nearly 50 miles, while she is also amazing, it’s a different pace than 4:35 min/mile. I put a metronome track on it to show they’re both clocking about 187 steps per minute.

We know Kipchoge is a master craftsman leaving nothing to chance. He’s running in top gear with perfect form, on flat road and in peak physical condition. He was certainly conscious of his intended cadence. For him, as with many elite runners,180 spm + is a good cruising tempo. His stride length extends out extra long and he’s using massive force to propel him forward. Yet, in his upper body he makes it look easy. That upper body movement doesn’t change a whole lot with changing speed. The big differences are the force he is exerting and his stride length.

I noted some cadence fluctuations in the Rarámuri runners, but generally their cadence is fairly high when they run. They’re navigating rocky cliffs, so they have to keep their feet under them ready to react to their surroundings. Their stride is relatively short until they can find a flat smooth path to breakaway, then they already have the quick rhythm ready to go.

Now, if you go running through NYC’s Central Park, you’ll see hundreds of runners with cadences all over the place from about 140 spm to potentially over 200 spm. It’s not about pace, it’s more about preference, form or gait, and past experience or habit. We’re told if you want to run to just go out and do what feels natural and when people try to mess with that, they often do too much. It can be tricky to get the right feel and many coaches don’t want to touch it.

Daniel E. Lieberman, the Harvard University Professor of Paleoanthropology often cited for his research in how humans evolved to run, observes in his book Exercised, “An anthropological approach combined with what we know about running biomechanics suggests a different perspective. When I ask runners from different cultures if there is a best way to run, they invariably tell me they consider running a learned skill … Just as it makes sense to hit tennis balls like Roger Federer, doesn’t it make sense to run like Eliud Kipchoge or other great runners? Tarahumara [the Spanish name for Rarámuri] runners tell me they learn to run properly by following champions of ball-game races [editor’s note: these ball-game races, or rarajipari, are epic team ultramarathons with a ball that can take over 24 hours to complete]. Kenyan runners do the same, often honing their skills in groups, which I have sometimes joined outside the city of Eldoret.”

The significant perspective of Kenyan runners and the famous indigenous runners from Mexico, is that they both grew up in places where running is a revered part of the culture. They begin running largely on unpaved roads with bare feet or sandals as children. The way they run is carefully honed through shared history and experience. Ironically, these “natural” runners became that way through years of hard earned practice, not pure intuition.

Lieberman goes on to conclude, “I think most experienced runners and coaches agree on four key, related elements: (1) not overstriding, which means landing with your feet too far in front of your body; (2) taking about 170-180 steps in a minute; (3) not leaning too much, especially at the waist; (4) landing with a nearly horizontal foot, thus avoiding a large, rapid impact force with the ground.”

To be fair, the Rarámuri don’t always run exactly 180 bpm and it’s really tricky to be 100% sure in the video above because it’s such a short clip. I’m leaving it for now because it’s such a beautiful illustration! I pulled another video that I’m more sure about because it's of me and I have the original audio of my feet hitting the treadmill. This is a 7:30 min/mile pace next to Kipchoge’s 4:35 min/mile pace. I can assure you that I frequently run at much slower paces to a high cadence but I don’t have good video of that currently. Either way, it’s still a pretty big pace difference for a similar cadence.

The Origin of 180 Steps Per Minute in American Running Culture

The 180 spm cadence gold standard has become famous in the American running community from the work of Jack Daniels, PhD, author of Daniels’ Running Formula and coach to runners ranging from complete beginners to elite Olympians. He’s also the preeminent coach for running coaches. 

He and his wife Nancy studied the stride lengths and rates of runners in the 1984 Olympics and found that the stride lengths changed for different events and paces, but “from the 3,000 meter [about 2 miles] distance on up to the marathon [26.2 miles] there was little variation in turnover rate.” He also found that, “Of all the runners evaluated, only one took fewer than 180 steps per minute.” He writes:

One reason I strongly emphasize trying to run with a stride rate around 180 steps per minute is to minimize the landing shock associated with running. Keep in mind that the slower the leg turnover, the more time you are spending in the air; the more time you are spending in the air, the higher you are elevating your body mass; and the higher you elevate body mass, the harder you hit the ground on the next landing. Believe me, it is during the impact associated with hitting the ground that many little injuries occur.

If a group of beginners were required to start running 100 miles a week two things would probably occur:
Many runners would hurt themselves, and many who didn’t get hurt would adjust to taking quicker lighter steps. I try to save runners a lot of grief by encouraging them to convert to a stride rate associated with less landing shock and more efficient use of energy.

The “180 steps per minute” stride rate caught on as a term for talking about high cadence running partly because it’s a nice round number that’s easy to remember. Some people will refer to it as 90 bpm or spm because it’s easier to count one leg for a minute when you’re running. 

The literal number is really a guideline. It’s definitely not mandatory to run exactly 180 spm every time you run regardless of distance or pace. However, it is a useful technique to practice and get the feel for, because it can help smooth out an overly bouncy stride. It also helps you to feel a little faster so easy runs don’t become too much of a slog. Steps that are way too slow can have a mental effect too.

So What Does this Mean for Me?

To whoever is reading this, I’m not sure where you are in your running journey, but if you’ve read this far you’re at least interested in what the 180 bpm cadence is about and possibly incorporating it into your training. 

So, let me share my personal experience with it. Sometime in 2008 was the first time I counted my cadence and it was 160 spm. When my coach suggested I try to increase it to 180, it felt like a cruel joke. The best I could do was 166 and that felt hard. I was a first time marathoner and my main goal was finishing so we dropped the issue.

When I got fitted for running shoes at a specialty store, they used a treadmill with a camera and I saw my running form for the first time. The staff member very kindly showed me how I was heel striking, over-striding, and ever so slightly overpronating. He sold me some extra padded shoes to compensate for my pronation and told me to read ChiRunning.

Danny Dreyer, author of ChiRunning, explains that it’s not cadence but form and stride length that determine speed. This is probably the first place where I read that steps per minute should be relatively consistent no matter who you are or how fast you’re going.

He writes of cadence and stride length:

When these two team up, magic happens. Once you can run at a steady cadence and keep your hips and legs relaxed, your perceived effort level will take on a new dimension, because you are increasing only your use of abdominal muscles, not leg muscles. As you improve your ChiRunning skills you won’t have to think about adjusting your stride length; it will happen naturally.

In order to achieve this “steady cadence” Dreyer goes on to suggest buying a metronome that you can clip to yourself and will beep the 90 beats per minute (bpm) tempo while you are running. 

I found this annoying… Why would you use a metronome when you could listen to music at that tempo? Seriously, I always hated practicing music to a metronome, do I really need to run to a metronome now? 

This was also the period when I was investigating the idea of “running music.” I wanted to know what made some songs amazing to run to and others (that you would think would be great) feel like such a drag.

So the idea that there was a tempo that could help me be a better runner and that people could use it regardless of pace, well that seemed to good to be true.

Of course there is some nuance and a lot of debate throughout the running community. As with anything, it isn’t necessary to be that rigid about it. The number 180 is just a number. Playing with cadence is a technique that can be learned and it can be helpful. If you get the feel for a range of high cadence bpms (roughly 175 to 195 bpm) at an easy pace, music can help guide you to maintaining a high cadence consistently over the course of a long run and it feels great.

But back in 2008, I still needed to figure out how I could run at 180 spm… and it turned out I was totally overthinking it!

How to Achieve the 180 bpm Running Cadence

The mental block that most people need to get past is divorcing fast steps with a fast pace. The best way to do this is to take speed out of the equation and to start super relaxed and easy. If it feels too fast, you’re working too hard, start by dialing the effort down as low as humanly possible.

It is possible to run really slow in a perfect 180 bpm cadence. Start inside your home with running in place, just to get used to the feeling of the tempo without propelling forward. Play a 180 bpm song with a very clear beat and focus on synchronizing your arms and feet to it in place. Don’t worry about lifting your knees high or working hard (although do keep you knees ahead of you and make sure not to kick back behind you), just very loosely and easily run in place until you feel locked into180 bpm. Then very slowly inch forward at this cadence and your body will begin to get used to the concept of quick steps without having to maintain a fast or difficult pace. Be like a drummer or dancer lightly patting the floor. If you can do the ridiculous snail pace, you can start playing by speeding up and slowing down a little bit while maintaining the beat in your living room.

Once I got this concept I put together a playlist and tested it on a treadmill. I was blown away by how much easier and more enjoyable running felt, honestly it felt transcendent.  

Before this point, for as much as I love music, I didn’t run to music very often. It turns out, it was all about synchronization. Some people seem content to run to whatever music they like, but I can’t resist the beat, I want to move to it! So when the beat is off from my running rhythm, it becomes extremely distracting and feels very dissonant to me. However, the opposite is true for a song that is in synchrony, it enhances the run. Everything falls into place like a harmonious orchestra from my steps to my breathing.

It was around this time that the first Born to Run came out and I ate it up. I’ve never been one to run barefoot, but I do love shoes that let me feel the ground and don’t constrict my toes. However, I will say that consciously going from a heel strike to a forefoot strike with minimal shoes can be very painful. Definitely make that transition gradually and incorporate strength training for your feet and lower legs. Check out Born to Run 2: The Ultimate Training Guide for tips. (This is not a paid endorsement, but I am mentioned in the chapter on running with music!)

On the other hand, I found the transition to a higher cadence by itself to be very gentle. It is actually taking the impact off of your joints and makes running feel smoother. I would definitely recommend starting there. Try it on an easy run when you’re not stressing about pace and you can play with it. I’m not kidding when I say I will run with this cadence with a 12 min/mile pace or more sometimes. Running with music to learn the feel really helps, just make sure you can hear your surroundings. You may feel like you’re taking too small steps at first but it’s very efficient because it will keep you from bouncing too high or swinging your arms and legs too far to the side. There isn’t time for extraneous movement. Then, when you’re ready to go fast, you can do it in a way that feels very elegant and smooth.

Take the legendary Caballo Blanco’s advice from the book Born to Run, “Think Easy, Light, Smooth, and Fast. You start with easy, because if that’s all you get, that’s not so bad. Then work on light. Make it effortless, like you don’t give a shit how high the hill is or how far you’ve got to go. When you’ve practiced that so long that you forget you’re practicing, you work on making it smooooooth. You won’t have to worry about the last one—you get those three, and you’ll be fast.”

One analogy came to mind when I was in the pit of a Gogol Bordello concert. I realized if I took really small steps while I was dancing, I felt less like I was going to get knocked over. It’s the same with a boxer’s shuffle. Keeping your feet moving underneath you means you’re always ready to react and catch yourself. It’s actually very supportive and stabilizing. It makes sense in the context of the Rarámuri runners scaling hills and rough trails quickly.

The other thing about synchronizing to 180 bpm music is that it adds a whole other level of enhancement. When you can hit the ground consistently in time with the music you get a sense of control, like playing an instrument. That’s immediate positive feedback, which can give your brain a nice little hit of dopamine. If you’re able to keep it up for a while you might start getting that runner’s high feeling that so many of us are chasing. I believe this is what happened to me in that first treadmill experiment and part of why I’m still doing it over a decade later.

If you have read this far into a dense page about 180 bpm running cadence — I want to hear from you! I’m interested in hearing what runners are struggling or what’s helping them. It could inspire a new song or a collaboration.

A Few Last Thoughts from Experts

Nicholas Romanov, PhD, creator of the Pose Method of Running advocates Daniels’ 180 bpm cadence and puts it like this:

The frequency of our strides in running is nothing more than the rate at which we change support from one foot to the next, which is the essence of good running technique. When we change support, we start free falling and let the force of gravity accelerate us forward. The faster we change support, the less we do to interrupt the gravitational pull.

While running is not as obviously creative as music, it too is an expressive outlet for human expression and requires well-honed technique beyond the physical realm. Just as with dance, there is a rhythm and a beauty that transcends mere pavement pounding and elevates the act of running well to artistry.

Costas Karageorghis, PhD, from Brunel University has become a recognized researcher for the ergogenic uses of music and its effects on sports psychology. In his book, Inside Sports Psychology, he writes:

Scientific studies that have examined the effects of synchronizing training activities with music tempo consistently report that synchronous music significantly enhances work rate. In other words, when athletes work in time to music they often work harder for longer

A follow-up study examined the effects of upbeat music on treadmill endurance. The subjects started at 75% of their maximal aerobic capacity (VO2 max) and were requested to synchronize their stride rate to a music tempo and then continue exercising until exhaustion. When a motivational music condition was compared to a no-music control, there was a 15% improvement in endurance.

If you’re looking for playlist suggestions I can also save you some time and put together a 180 bpm playlist for you. It would incorporate your favorite artists and cater to your training goals, check them out here.

Marathoners Rocking New York is a concept album about the NYC Marathon that follows one runner’s experience at 180 bpm. It can be streamed wherever you get your music.

I Was Born to Run Too is a song in 180 bpm written about the book Born to Run for the release of Born to Run 2.