Enter the number of steps and the distance traveled into the calculator to determine your stride length.

Stride Length Formula

The following formula is used to determine an average stride length. 

SL = D / S
  • Where SL is your stride length (distance/step)
  • D is your total distance traveled
  • S is your number of steps

To calculate your stride length, divide the distance traveled by the number of steps.

Stride Length Definition

A stride length is defined as the total distance or total length traveled with one step. This is different from person to person and will also depend on the speed a person is moving.

How to calculate stride length?

  1. First, determine an accurate distance that you can walk or run that you know the start and finish off. For example, you may know the distance of one lap of a track to be 400m.
  2. Next, start walking or running along that distance and measure your total number of steps.
  3. Finally, using the formula above, calculate your stride length by dividing the total distance by the number of steps.

FAQ

What is a stride length?

A stride length is a measure of the distance traveled per step a person takes.

Is stride length different for running and walking?

Stride lengths will be different for walking and running because you are moving at different speeds.

How long should a stride length be?

The optimal stride length for running depends on the distance. For longer runs a shorter stride length and higher cadence are optimal, but for shorter runs, a longer stride length is typically better.

Does stride length increase with speed?

A stride length will typically increase as speed increases. This assumes the cadence stays the same. A stride length can stay the same with an increase in speed if the cadence (the number of steps per minute) increases.

What is the average stride length while running?

The average stride length of male runners is around 30-31 inches.

Why is stride length important?

A stride length is important to running because changes in stride length can change both the speed and efficiency of running, so it’s important to understand the best stride length for the type of running you are doing.