Did you know that running is JUST like riding a bike? It’s all about practice, repetition, and being mindful about what you’re doing–and doing it over and over again. Learn the secrets to your stride with this post on finding your best running stride length.

How to Find Your Perfect Running Stride Length

Beginner Running Form: You’re In Control Of Your Speed

Biking requires you to both push AND pull with your legs. This combination allows you to move across varying terrain at various speeds and effort levels.

Whenever you get to a hill on your bike, what do you do? You switch to a smaller gear. And when you get back to the flat, you switch to a larger one.

Well…believe it or not, running works the same way. You’ll need those same pushing and pulling motions to take control. Uphills will demand a shorter, smaller stride length, flats will demand a longer, neutral stride and downhills will demand the longest stride length of all.

So, how do you go about alternating between the three?

Beginner Running Form: Understanding Cadence

You hear distance runners talk a lot about their cadence.

Assuming that if you’re reading this, you may be navigating your way around your first few months of running and are unfamiliar with the subject.

So, let us explain! Your cadence is your stride rate, or the number of steps it takes for your foot to hit the ground per minute.

No matter what level of athlete you are, we like to encourage an average stride length (or cadence) of somewhere between 85 and 90 (that’s the # of times one of your feet will hit the ground per minute).

This number encourages proper biomechanics–improving running form, a healthy posture, and the least opportunity for “marathon shuffle” and resulting impact injuries, etc.

Beginner Running Form: How Do You Switch Gears?

So now that we understand our stride length and cadence, how do we blend them together to take control of our speed? Stride length is best controlled by the hamstrings.

When the hamstrings are activated, the heels can actively pull up toward the glutes. This encourages healthy tension through the midline as well as less opportunity for injury.

As Coach Nate demonstrates in the video, you can use a rogue monster band to most easily activate the hamstring pull in your run stride. Once we’ve got those firing, we can see that the legs operate like wheels. Your stride works in a rotation that can be made smaller or larger.

Now, back to our cadence. We suggested a cadence of somewhere between 85 and 90. This is encouraged for all types of terrain, no matter what your running style is! Uphill, flat, downhill…it is all the same.

So, this is where your gears come in! To keep the stride frequency the same, you’ll have to adjust the length of your stride, the size of your rotation. Uphills will require short strides, and downhills will require longer strides.

Let’s practice to find the perfect stride!

Beginner Running Form: A Practice Drill For Controlling Your Stride

Before we get going, you’ll want to gain access to a metronome or something that will allow you to hear the stride rate you’re aiming for.

We like this one.

Here’s the drill: 

Here’s the kicker:

The only way to keep your feet hitting the ground at the same rate across three different types of terrain is to change the length of your stride.

Keep it short on the uphills, medium on the flats, and as elongated and hip-driven as possible on the downhills. This is a great way to practice switching gears as you run. It will also help you manage your effort output during your long runs for optimal running performance.

Try throwing it into your training routine once a week!

For sticking with us to the end, check out our range of running training programs, catering all the aspects of run, strength and mobility training! Every workout is easy to follow, backed by awesome coaching support and requires NO equipment!

Finally, don’t forget to download our new mobile app for access to coaching advice, daily video workouts, injury prevention tips, and complete training programs that will help motivate and inspire your training program!