Long strides vs. short strides?

Long is faster. If you train with a long stride and good turnover, you probably are running faster. It isn't more efficient at first but maybe around 5k-10k efficiency is replaceable with power if your cardio system and musculature are efficient. Efficiency is more than just taking short strides. When I watch the Africans run fast marathons, they have pretty long strides.

There are exceptions, Tadese seems to operate totally on turnover. I also saw a Japanese woman run with the shortest stride I have ever seen, with super fast turnover float around the track at Payton Jordan and run like 31:xx

I think the important thing would be not letting your turnover get too slow or allow your legs to overstride. Land under your hips with decent turnover and the power will come with training.

I know that I can easily adapt to long stride/fast turnover because I'm an 800 runner; I can go 1:59 and 53 low for a 400, and I'm only 16 right now. My coach has noted that I have a good, smooth stride and quick turnover, but I'm not sure I should change the mechanics that seem to be working in favor of something new. I felt really good today during my quick run; perhaps I'll try it tomorrow during speed.

Marlies Göhr, a magnificent short strider.

long or short? wrote:

I know that I can easily adapt to long stride/fast turnover because I'm an 800 runner; I can go 1:59 and 53 low for a 400, and I'm only 16 right now. My coach has noted that I have a good, smooth stride and quick turnover, but I'm not sure I should change the mechanics that seem to be working in favor of something new. I felt really good today during my quick run; perhaps I'll try it tomorrow during speed.

Whatever you practice most often will be your most efficient stride. Don't try and change your stride mechanics, the way to maintain a good stride length and good turnover for longer is simply to increase endurance, so your 800 pace eventually becomes your mile pace, i.e. the same stride length/stride rate held for twice as long.

The same principle applies to increasing endurance at other race distances too, but your sprint stride will always be longer than the longest distances you race.

if your foot strike is under your body and not ahead of your body then your stride length and turnover rate is going to adjust to your pace.

coacht27 wrote:

if your foot strike is under your body and not ahead of your body then your stride length and turnover rate is going to adjust to your pace.

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Don't think about stride length.

Work on fitness and mechanics.

Mechanics can be improved through drills.

Your stride will adjust accordingly.

leg length? no stride angle? yes