Cadence Optimization in Running

Reviewer If you only watch one cadence video, make it this one.

Moderator The entire video is built around cadence and stride length trade-offs -- diagnosing over-striding, the pendulum-leg-swing analogy, and a specific fix (increase cadence ~5%). This is squarely the sub-skill.

Reviewer The stride-length math finally makes cadence click.

Moderator Entirely about cadence - explains the speed = stride length x cadence relationship, how to take a baseline count, and how to progressively build cadence without just running faster.

Reviewer Clear, correct, and gives you an actual number to work toward -- great starting point.

Moderator Textbook cadence explainer -- what it is, how to measure it off your watch, why low cadence costs you energy and increases impact, and a clear target range. No detours.

Reviewer Clever, well-evidenced training trick -- not for someone still building their base though.

Moderator Squarely about manipulating cadence -- this time deliberately lowering it as a training stimulus, with his own 3D data comparing 172 vs 153 spm at identical pace.

Reviewer Solid, evidence-backed explanation of what actually drives your cadence up.

Moderator Dead center on cadence -- the whole video is Zillan explaining why cadence is a downstream effect of arm swing, elbow angle, and hip position rather than something you force directly. Nothing else competing for airtime.

Reviewer Best explanation in this batch of why a 'target cadence' number by itself is a trap.

Moderator Entirely about cadence -- what it is, how it varies by event/athlete, and why chasing one number is the wrong mental model. On topic throughout, and it's making a point specifically about optimization, the exact sub-skill.

Reviewer Watch this, then go run the drill - it's laid out that clearly.

Moderator A dedicated cadence workout using a metronome and a 200m interval structure to raise cadence without increasing speed - textbook cadence drill session.

Reviewer This is an actual weeks-long plan, not just tips - baseline-plus progression is genuinely useful programming.

Moderator Fully dedicated to changing cadence, distinguishing between two runner profiles (chronically low cadence vs. cadence that fades late in a run) and prescribing structured workouts for each.

Reviewer Clean, correct, and gives you a way to actually measure and train it.

Moderator Squarely about run cadence - explains overstriding vs cadence, the 180 spm benchmark, how to count your own cadence, and gives concrete drills to raise it.

Reviewer The treadmill tip to isolate cadence from pace is the kind of practical detail that actually helps.

Moderator Explains what cadence is, why efficiency (not just speed) is the real payoff, and gives concrete personal cadence numbers across paces (easy/threshold/sprint), directly addressing how cadence should vary rather than being a fixed target.

Moderator Exactly the sub-skill: what cadence is, why a higher step rate cuts overstriding and impact load, how to track it (watch, count for a minute, metronome, music) and how quickly to raise it. Start to finish on cadence.

Reviewer Everything a newer runner needs in a minute: short quick steps landing under your hips, four ways to track it, and only 5-10 steps more every couple of weeks.

Reviewer The metronome homework and the 'pull up, don't drive forward' cue are both things a runner could use today.

Moderator A real athlete, a real measured cadence (167, target 175-180), and a metronome drill built directly around hitting that number. Posture notes at the end are a small tangent, but the whole video is anchored on cadence.

Reviewer Good mix of theory and actual drills you can do today - fast feet, skipping, metronome pacing.

Moderator Defines cadence/SPM from scratch, explains how to measure it (including the common watch-counts-one-foot gotcha), links low cadence to overstriding/injury, then gives actual drills to raise it.

Reviewer Well-researched diagnosis of why 'just use a metronome' fails -- just wish I could see the fix in this clip.

Moderator Fully about cadence, specifically for the over-40 recreational crowd, and identifies a real, non-obvious problem: metronomes often just make people run faster/harder instead of improving cadence at the same effort.

Reviewer Great for killing the 180 myth with data, thin on what to actually do next.

Moderator Entirely about cadence variability -- pulls real splits from the 2017 Worlds marathon and 10k finals to show elite runners spread over 30+ steps/min at the same pace. Squarely on the sub-skill.

Reviewer High-quality technical cadence coaching, pitched at a serious runner.

Moderator Squarely about running cadence - POSE method frame-count analysis to mid-stance, setting a 90bpm metronome target, working the pull phase relative to speed.

Reviewer The 7-10 minute metronome bursts mid-run is a smart way to practice without ruining the whole run.

Moderator Focused on why cadence attempts fail (runners think they need to run faster) and gives a specific drill (the 'pulling' drill between high-knee and butt-kick) plus a metronome-based weekly progression protocol.

Reviewer Really solid drill progression - the arm-swing tip alone is worth the watch.

Moderator Entirely focused on cadence improvement: stride-length reduction, arm-leg coupling, ground contact time, rope-ladder drills, high knees, skipping, A-skips, and using hills.

Reviewer Smart, well-reasoned breakdown of why 180 isn't a magic number - just short on actual drills to fix your cadence.

Moderator Directly and entirely about running cadence: debunks the 180 SPM myth's origin, explains the speed = cadence x stride length relationship, and gives a method to find your own optimal cadence.

Reviewer Good myth-busting and an actionable protocol; mild product plug.

Moderator Entire video is running cadence - steps per minute, the 180 myth, cadence rising with pace, using a metronome, increasing 5 percent at a time. Could not be more on-topic for cadence optimization.

Reviewer Good entry point if you've never thought about your cadence before.

Moderator Dedicates a clear, substantial segment to cadence -- the 170-180spm range, how it interacts with pace, and the mistake of letting cadence drop on easy runs. On-topic and well-explained.

Reviewer Honest take on the 180 myth and a realistic target (around 175 if you sit in the 160s), but you won't leave knowing how to actually raise it.

Moderator Squarely on cadence: where the 180 steps-per-minute figure comes from, why it's an average and not a rule, what range is fine, and a realistic target for slower or later-start runners. Stays on stride rate throughout.

Reviewer Good mechanistic explanation, not just a magic number to chase.

Moderator Cadence is one of three pillars covered (with forward lean and arm swing), explained with the 180spm reference point, stride angle, and 'land under a flexing knee' cue. Genuinely on-topic, just one third of the video.

Reviewer Decent basic advice, just wade through the ad for his brand first.

Moderator Mostly cadence -- what it is, why low cadence hurts you, a target range, a gradual progression plan. But the video opens with a long plug for his website, training plans, hats, and a discount code before getting to the content.

Reviewer Good source, probably useful, wish I could see the actual cues.

Moderator Sage Canaday is a known competitive/coaching voice in distance running, and the description specifically promises how to monitor and optimize cadence — squarely the sub-skill.

Reviewer Actionable cadence guidance.

Moderator Directly hits cadence - counts steps, 170 vs target 180, faster workouts to lift turnover. Meaningful coverage inside a form video.

Reviewer Clear, accurate take on uphill cadence.

Moderator Real cadence content: explains stride rate drops uphill, around 170 flat versus 155 uphill, shorter steps. One of several topics but properly covered.

Reviewer Good on the why, thin on the how -- no actual cadence target or drill given.

Moderator Cadence is explicitly named as 'the first thing you could do' to fix excess vertical oscillation, but the video spends at least as much time on skip drills and general landing mechanics as it does on cadence itself. Covers it among other related fixes rather than being purely about cadence.

Reviewer Decent cadence tips buried in a broader form video - worth it but not the most efficient watch for this skill alone.

Moderator This is really a general running-smoothness/form video - forward lean, arm swing, foot turnout - but ground contact time and cadence are explicitly called out as one of the six tips with concrete drills (fast feet, stair running, ladders), so cadence is a meaningful chunk, not the whole thing.

Reviewer Metronome + pick-up-the-feet is right; could use a target number.

Moderator Same video attached to Cadence Optimization. Cadence is explicitly step 3 - pick the feet up faster, active hip pull, metronome reference, ties slow cadence to shuffling. Covered meaningfully but as one of three points in a foot-strike video.

Reviewer A fun tip, not really a lesson -- mostly a tool walkthrough.

Moderator Cadence is the throughline but a good chunk of runtime is a marathon-time joke and then a full walkthrough of a third-party Spotify playlist tool. The technical content is a rehash of points made better elsewhere.

Reviewer Good framing of cadence x stride length, but no how-to to raise turnover.

Moderator Same pro-runners form video attached to Cadence Optimization. Cadence is named as one of the two factors (cadence x stride length = pace) but the analysis is overwhelmingly about stride angle, foot strike and arm drive. Cadence is acknowledged, not taught. Tangential.

Reviewer Right idea on quick turnover, but no method to actually raise it.

Moderator Sage downhill tutorial attached to Cadence Optimization. Tip 2 is explicitly cadence - little quick steps, stride rate over 200 spm, dont overstride/jump gaps. Covered meaningfully but as one of three downhill tips, not the focus.

Reviewer The written advice is solid and safe -- gradual increase, personal baseline first -- if it's actually what's said on screen.

Moderator Same issue as similar clips -- the transcript is song lyrics, not speech, so I can't confirm what's actually said on screen. But the caption itself is specific and correct (progressive 2-5% weekly cadence increases, find your own baseline before chasing '170'), which is real, on-topic cadence coaching if it matches the on-screen text. Leaning on the caption with reduced confidence since the audio gives nothing to confirm it.

Reviewer Too short to actually teach cadence.

Moderator Description is legitimately about cadence/stride rate, but the title leads with "motivation" and the clip is only 10 seconds — likely more hype than actual cadence coaching.

Reviewer Barely teaches cadence - just go quicker, no how.

Moderator Same amp-theater downhill video attached to Cadence Optimization. Cadence mentioned - faster cadence/stride rate to avoid obstacles and overstriding - but its one note in a downhill tutorial. Tangential.