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Running cadence calculator

Short answer

Cadence is steps per minute, counting both feet. 80 steps in 30 seconds is 160 steps a minute. In 45 recreational runners, a 5% higher step rate at the same speed (here 168) meant less energy absorbed at the knee, and 10% higher (176) also less at the hip. There is no single right number; the change is relative to your own cadence.

Last reviewed 27 October 20262 published sourcesNot medical advice

Reps keeps track of this for you on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.

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Running cadence calculator

Count every footstrike (both feet) for 30 or 60 seconds at your usual easy pace. Apple Watch also shows cadence in a run's details.

steps
s

30 or 60 seconds is plenty.

Enter the steps you counted and how long you counted for.

Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere.

Cadence targets at +5% and +10%
Your cadence+5%+10%
150 spm158 spm165 spm
155 spm163 spm171 spm
160 spm168 spm176 spm
165 spm173 spm182 spm
170 spm179 spm187 spm
175 spm184 spm193 spm
180 spm189 spm198 spm
Steps per minute, both feet counted.

What changing cadence does

Heiderscheit et al. filmed 45 healthy recreational runners on a treadmill at their preferred step rate and at 5% and 10% above and below it, at the same speed. Less energy was absorbed at the knee at +5% and +10%, and at the hip at +10%; at −10%, every joint absorbed substantially more (Heiderscheit et al., 2011).

Walking is different: there, around 100 steps a minute is a useful marker of moderate intensity (Tudor-Locke et al., 2019). Turn your steps into distance with the steps to distance calculator, or your run into pace with the pace calculator.

Every run, read as one picture

Reps reads the runs your Apple Watch records, cadence and heart rate included, and sets them against your sleep and readiness.

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Free to download · iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch

Common questions

What is a good running cadence?

There is no single ideal: cadence varies with speed and from runner to runner. The research on changing it works from your own cadence: small increases of 5–10% at the same speed reduced loading at the knee and hip.

Is 180 steps per minute the target?

Not for everyone. Rather than aiming for one number, measure your easy-pace cadence and try 5% more at the same speed, built up gradually.

How do I measure my cadence?

Count every footstrike, both feet, for 30 seconds at your usual easy pace and double it. Apple Watch also records running cadence in each run's details.

Sources

Figures on this page were checked against these publications on 27 October 2026.

  1. Heiderscheit BC, Chumanov ES, Michalski MP, Wille CM, Ryan MB. Effects of step rate manipulation on joint mechanics during running. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2011;43(2):296–302. doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181ebedf4
  2. Tudor-Locke C, Aguiar EJ, Han H, Ducharme SW, Schuna JM Jr, Barreira TV, et al. Walking cadence (steps/min) and intensity in 21–40 year olds: CADENCE-adults. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2019;16:8. doi.org/10.1186/s12966-019-0769-6

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