Running cadence and music: how to pick songs that match your stride
Music with a beat that lines up with your footsteps makes a run feel easier and keeps your rhythm steady. This guide shows how to measure your cadence, turn it into a song tempo, and use it to run a little lighter.
What cadence is
Cadence is the number of steps you take in a minute, counting both feet. Runners usually write it as spm, steps per minute. It is different from pace: two people can run a kilometre in six minutes, one with long, slow strides and the other with short, quick ones. The second runner has the higher cadence.
Most recreational runners land somewhere between 150 and 175 spm at an easy pace. Cadence rises as you speed up, so the same person might run at 162 spm on an easy day and 178 spm in a race. There is no single correct number. Height, leg length, fitness and terrain all move it.
Where the "180 steps a minute" idea comes from
The number most people have heard is 180. It goes back to the running coach Jack Daniels, who counted the steps of elite runners at the 1984 Olympics and found that almost all of them ran at 180 or more. Those were world-class athletes racing, not people jogging on a Sunday, so 180 is better read as "elite runners take quick, short steps" than as a target for everyone.
What has been studied more carefully is a small increase. A 2011 study by Heiderscheit and colleagues in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that raising step rate by 5 to 10 percent above a runner's own natural cadence reduced the load on the knee and hip. Shorter steps tend to land closer under the body, so each one brakes less. That is why coaches who work with injured runners often suggest "a few more steps per minute", not a fixed figure.
If you have an injury, ask a physiotherapist before changing how you run. The rest of this guide assumes you are healthy and simply want a steadier rhythm.
Measure your own cadence in one minute
- Run at your normal easy pace for a few minutes until you settle in.
- Count every time your right foot touches the ground for 30 seconds.
- Multiply by 4. Thirty seconds of one foot is half the steps of half a minute, so ×4 gives steps per minute.
Do it twice and take the average; the first count is often off because you think about your feet. Most running watches and phone apps also report cadence, and they are usually accurate to within a couple of steps.
Turning cadence into a song tempo
A song's tempo is measured in beats per minute (BPM). If you put one step on every beat, the numbers match directly: a 165 BPM song fits a 165 spm cadence.
Very few popular songs sit at 160 to 180 BPM, though. Most pop, hip-hop and R&B is between 80 and 130. The trick is that a song at half your cadence works just as well, because you put two steps on every beat: one on the beat and one exactly between. A song at 82 BPM fits a 164 spm cadence. Many people find this easier to follow, because a slow, heavy beat is easy to feel.
| Your cadence | Songs at full tempo | Songs at half tempo |
|---|---|---|
| 150 spm | 148 to 152 BPM | 74 to 76 BPM |
| 160 spm | 158 to 162 BPM | 79 to 81 BPM |
| 170 spm | 168 to 172 BPM | 84 to 86 BPM |
| 180 spm | 178 to 182 BPM | 89 to 91 BPM |
A window of two beats either side is plenty. Inside it you will not notice the difference; outside it you start to drift against the music.
Why automatic BPM numbers are sometimes "wrong"
When software measures a song's tempo, it follows the strongest pulse it hears in the drums. In songs with half-time drums, where the snare hits on every other beat, it can report half or double the tempo you feel. A track listed at 85 BPM might feel like 170, and the other way round. For running this does not matter: you can use the song either way. Just tap along for a few seconds before you add it to a playlist to check which pulse your feet want to follow.
Building a playlist that works
- Start from your measured cadence, not from 180. Pick songs within two BPM of it, or of half of it.
- Prefer songs with a clear kick drum. A strong, even beat is easy to lock onto; songs that build slowly or change tempo halfway are hard to run to.
- Make one list per kind of run. An easy-run list at your easy cadence and a faster list a few steps higher. Switching lists is easier than fighting the music.
- Keep the volume low enough to hear traffic. You only need to feel the beat.
The running pages on mdworks Music group current chart songs by running cadence, and every song page shows its measured tempo, so you can check a song before adding it.
Using music to change your cadence
If you want to raise your cadence, do it in small steps. Add about 5 percent: a runner at 160 spm would aim for 168. Make a playlist at the new tempo and use it for part of one or two easy runs a week. After two or three weeks the new rhythm usually feels normal, and you can stop thinking about it.
Signs that you are pushing too hard: your breathing jumps although your speed has not changed, your calves feel unusually tired the next day, or you are taking tiny, choppy steps. Step back a few spm and stay there longer.
Common questions
Should my cadence stay the same when I run faster?
No. Cadence naturally rises with speed. The playlist approach works best for runs where your pace stays roughly the same.
What about walking?
A brisk walk is usually 100 to 130 steps per minute, which fits a lot of ordinary pop songs at full tempo.
Does running to music actually help?
Studies on running with synchronised music generally find that people rate the effort as a little easier and keep a steadier rhythm. It is not a performance drug, but it makes the time pass better, and a steady rhythm is good for most runners.