Cadence vs. Stride Length: Which One Should You Change?

On September 29, 2026, Runners Connect Science Training published an article reviewing multiple studies on whether runners should change their cadence or their stride length. The article notes that runners mainly increase speed by increasing stride length, while increasing cadence serves to reduce knee and hip load: studies show that a 10% increase in cadence can reduce peak patellofemoral force by 14%, while a cadence 10% below natural rhythm increases hip, knee, and ankle load; a 2016 follow-up of 249 female runners found that those whose landing load rate was above the threshold were 2.72 times more likely to be diagnosed with an injury than others.