Jon Mott’s 2:17:20 marathon personal best came on Berlin’s flat, fast course. A few months later, he arrived in Boston confident in his training—and the hills derailed his race. The difference points to a useful coaching idea: runners don’t all produce speed in the same way, and the approach that works on one course can become a liability on another.
“At no point was I able to lock into my rhythm,” says Mott, a three-time U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier and coach at Runnersfix. “There was no flow to the race, I guess you can say, and it just really beat me up.”
Looking back, Mott saw why Berlin had suited him. He could stretch out his stride and hold a steady rhythm. On hilly courses, runners who shorten their steps and adjust their turnover may find it easier to respond as the terrain changes. Mott now uses that distinction to think about the athletes he coaches: some are more stride-oriented; others rely more on cadence.
These are tendencies, not fixed categories or a complete explanation for any race result. Still, they can help identify where a runner feels strong and where training may need to prepare them for a course’s demands. Stride-oriented runners often excel on flat routes but may need more hill practice. Cadence-oriented runners may adapt well to hills but benefit from preparing for long stretches of flat running.
The idea has roots in shoe research. While comparing the 2024 ASICS Metaspeed Edge and Sky models, Mott encountered a distinction based on research from the company’s sports science institute, as Runner’s World previously reported. Some runners mainly lengthen their stride to speed up; others mainly increase their steps per minute. The research also associated stride-oriented running with landing nearer the midfoot or forefoot, and cadence-oriented running with smoother turnover and a more frequent heel strike.
In Mott’s framework, stride runners gain speed largely by lengthening each step while keeping cadence fairly steady. Cadence runners increase their step rate more, with less change in stride length. The distinction helps explain Mott’s contrasting races: a long, powerful stride can work beautifully on flat ground, but maintaining it uphill can become inefficient and demanding. Quicker steps may make it easier to adjust when the course rises and falls.
That’s a useful lens for planning, but it’s not a reason to force a particular form. Mott says neither style is better, and runners who are progressing, racing well, and staying healthy have little reason to tinker with their mechanics. The more practical question is whether your goal course will challenge your usual strengths.
How to identify your strengths and weaknesses
Mott starts with cadence data from a runner’s wearable. Compare your average on an easy run with readings from a tempo workout, intervals, or a race. If your cadence stays fairly similar as you run faster, Mott considers you more stride-oriented. A noticeable rise in steps per minute may point toward a cadence-oriented pattern.
As a rough guide, a 10-to-20-step-per-minute increase between slow and fast running can suggest a cadence-led style. But one workout or one number can mislead. Gather a couple of weeks of data, and compare runs on similar terrain and in similar conditions. Hills, trails, grass, fatigue, and shoe changes can all affect cadence and stride measurements.
Your gait can offer another clue. A strong knee drive and powerful stride may fit a stride-oriented pattern; shorter, shuffle-like steps may suggest a cadence-oriented one. Mott treats those visual impressions as secondary to the data.
Use the pattern to prepare for your next race
“I don’t think either one is better or worse,” Mott says. “They both have their advantages.” So don’t chase a supposedly ideal cadence or deliberately stretch your stride just because of a label. Mott’s advice is to use the pattern to make training more specific, especially when your race course will test the way you naturally run.
For stride runners
For a flat marathon, build on what already works: do long runs and marathon-pace work on flatter routes, where you can practice holding your rhythm for extended stretches.
A hilly course calls for a different kind of preparation, not a wholesale change to your mechanics. Hill sessions can build climbing strength and give you practice taking shorter, quicker steps when the slope breaks up your stride. The point is to rehearse adapting, rather than simply charging uphill at maximum effort.
Mott wishes he’d done more of that before Boston: “I would have run more hills—done more marathon-pace work on the hills.” He says the goal should have been to “get used to being thrown off rhythm” before race day.
Try this workout: Hill repeats
Why it works: The aim is to get comfortable changing your stride when the terrain demands it, instead of relying only on stride length to generate uphill speed, Mott says.
How to do it:
- Warm up with 10–15 minutes of easy running.
- Run 10 one-minute hill repeats hard, at about 5K effort or 8–9 out of 10. Aim for a roughly 5 percent grade and jog back down to recover between reps.
- Cool down with 10–15 minutes of easy running.
For cadence runners
Cadence-oriented runners may already be comfortable with frequent changes in terrain. If your target race is hilly, Mott says your usual preparation may be a good fit. A flat course presents the bigger adjustment.
There, the goal isn’t to force a longer stride. It’s to build efficiency at a steady pace and the muscular endurance to repeat the same movement pattern for 26.2 miles. Practicing that steady rhythm can also help with the mental monotony of a flat marathon.
Try this workout: Mile repeats
Build speed without changing your stride
This flat-ground cruise interval session targets your lactate threshold, helping you sustain faster running for longer. The point for cadence-focused runners is to build the strength and stamina to lengthen each stride while keeping their natural turnover, Mott says. That’s a useful distinction: the workout asks you to cover more ground without forcing a different rhythm.
Keep the effort controlled. Threshold pace should feel like a 7–8 out of 10, hard but repeatable.
- Warm up with 10–15 minutes of easy running.
- Run 5 × 1 mile at threshold pace on a flat route, jogging easily for 60–90 seconds between repeats.
- Cool down with 10–15 minutes of easy running.
It’s a variation on a cruise interval workout, built around lactate-threshold training. The prescription is straightforward; the challenge is holding the effort steady across all five miles.
Matt Rudisill is an Associate Service Editor who joined Runner’s World in 2025. He graduated from Penn State in 2022 with a journalism degree, then spent three years in the university’s athletic department communications office as the main contact and photographer for its nationally ranked cross-country and track and field teams. He also worked on communications for Penn State football, men’s basketball, and women’s gymnastics. At Runner’s World, he has interviewed Olympians, world champions, and other experts for service journalism aimed at helping runners train smarter and race faster. Away from running, he posts bad Phillies takes and watches movies.
