How to Run Fast
Running workouts are usually aimed at increasing your condition (you’re never conditioned enough as a runner!) but spending some time in improving your form can actually help you run faster given the same level of condition. Or running as fast while feeling less fatigue.
A good, efficient running form is directly related to high stride rate. World-class runners run at 180 strides per minute during competitions and slightly less when training.
Usually runners increase stride length when they want to increase speed more than they do increase stride rate, but this is not optimal.
One study revealed that in order to DOUBLE your running speed, stride length increases by 85%, and stride rate only by 9%. For example, when speeding up from a ten minutes per mile pace to a 5 minutes per mile, the length of a step increases from 18 to 33 inches, while strides per minutes only increase from 83 to 90.
Therefore, working in improving your stride rate (which might feel innatural at first, you’ll feel like you’re doing baby steps) will give you better results than working on increasing your stride length.
As we read here, the physics behind running is straight-forward: when you stomp your foot on the ground you apply a force to the ground and according to Newton’s third law of dynamics, the ground responds with an equal and opposite force, pushing you up and forward. Time is a major component in power. The shorter the time your feet is in contact with the ground during the stride, the more poweful your step will be.
Further, there is a rebound component to this. If you land with your heel and your gait goes through all the surface of your foot, the resulting pronation will cushion and absorb part of the power you are applying. If you land on your midfoot or forefoot, your foot will “bounce” less and applying more power to the ground, therefore increasing the bounce back and the distance you cover.
The last way to increase your running efficiency is to try and move forward more than you do move up and down. All the energy you use in moving vertically is energy you are not using propelling yourself forward, which is the aim of running.
Running is and will always be a sport where conditioning is essential. Muscular, cardio-vascular and mental stamina are the keys for long distance running. But working on improving your form (after all, you are running anyway, why not doing it better?) and achieving a good efficiency will make you run faster at the same level of conditioning or fatigue less going at the same speed.
This is a well written article. Thanks for posting!
Hi there
I was just reading this article and find something quite contradicting – it’s about the increase stride length vs. increase stride rate part.
IF: runners increase stride length when they want to increase speed…this is not optimal
= which means we should be focusing on increased stride rate
But you mentioned : in order to DOUBLE your running speed, stride length increases by 85%, and stride rate only by 9%. ; e.g. when speeding up, the length of a step increases from 18 to 33 inches, while strides per minutes only increase from 83 to 90
= this clearly somehow tells us to focus more on stride length
Then later the article concluded : Therefore, working in improving your stride rate…will give you better results
Kindly shed some light on this, thank you in advance
!
Micheletan,
The first part of the article refers to what most runners do in order to double their speed. They are simply pointing out that the average runner does NOT take stride rate into account as much as they do stride legnth. Mentally, most runners equate speed by distance covered and the result is a longer stride. Without good form, or consideration of good form, the average runner will be content with the longer stride and forget about stride rate resulting in a poor 9% difference. They then go on to point out that increasing stride rate as well as stride legnth will increase speed and efficiency. Lets do the math…
If you have a legnth increase from 18 to 33 (85%) inches and your stride rate goes from 83 to 90 (9%) You’d be going 2,970 inches/min.
If 33 inches is a world class stride LEGNTH and the stride rate is 180
Then you’d be going 5940 inches/min (twice as fast.)
The secret here is that world-class runners don’t have SUPER long legs, they have a really fast stride rate. So, if you want to improve your speed, work on your stride RATE. Your stride legnth may suffer a bit in the beginning but even if your stride legnth dropped back to 18 inches and your stride rate went up to 180 you’d be going 3,240 inches/min (a 450 inch/min gain over the previous 2,970.)
The point? Stride RATE deserves as much or more attention than stride LEGNTH. Hope this helps!
Ok it took me a while to figure this out as the article was confusing.It started out saying world class runners go at 180 strides but increasing length (by the way this is the correct spelling for lenght) I may not be a math wizz but I am a spelling wizz
,anyway the increased length of 85% and stride 9% to double your speed.This tells me to move like a gazzel barely touching the ground but instead it ends with move your legs like the dickens.But it all comes clear in the end deducing world class runners already have a 33 inch stride and just ramp up 9% in stride will do the job.I have been a runner for over 30 years and I can tell you increasing stride at a fast pace is alot harder to do than increasing pace.For one thing the stride dynamics get all thrown out of wack,I`m a neutral runner no over or under pronation.But as I try increasing stride I find myself landing on my heels and slapping my toes on the finish and my knees started hurting more.