# Foot strike Pattern and Cadence of the Marathon Athletes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
## 1 Introduction
Additionally, it was observed that elite athletes tended to maintain their chosen landing technique throughout the race, suggesting that analysing this variable at a single point may be sufficient for studying elite athletes. Furthermore, no significant differences were found between the fastest and slowest athletes [2]. Another notable study by [PERSON] et al., which examined a half marathon, yielded similar results when considering the entire study sample. However, the research team observed that among the fastest athletes (the first 50), there was a higher percentage of non-rearfoot strikers (NRFS), indicating that the proportion of NRFS increased with greater speed [13]. These findings align with results from other studies involving recreational runners in long-distance races, where the percentage of RFS is as high as 93% in marathons [14] and 89% in ultra-marathon events [15]. As a general conclusion, it can be stated that recreational runners predominantly exhibit RFS. In contrast, when analysing the technique of elite track athletes in the 10,000 m event, a distinct trend emerges, with the predominant footstrike patterns being FFS and MFS, while RFS is notably absent [16]. The recent advancements in running footwear that are entering the market are revolutionizing road athletics, as mentioned earlier. The inclusion of these types of footwear in competitions has resulted in improved performance at the global level in major marathons, with an average improvement of 0.8% for men and 1.6% for women [17]. To the best of our knowledge, there are no studies that have analysed the footstrike patterns of elite runners in real competition using the new running shoes. Another crucial variable for analyzing sports performance in long-distance running is running cadence, which refers to the number of steps an athlete takes per minute or per second (Hz). Cadence is directly related to running speed and athletic level. Previous studies by [PERSON] et al. highlighted that different researchers have set 180 steps per minute as the optimal cadence value [18], while other studies have identified a mean of 176 steps per minute as the optimum value [19]. According to some authors, increasing cadence to 180 steps has resulted in a reduction in heart rate and a decrease in oxygen consumption in well-trained athletes [18]. Previous studies have concluded that runners perform worse with their preferred cadence compared with their preferred cadence plus 5% or 10% [20]. Small increases in cadence have been found to reduce load on the hip and knee, vertical movement of the centre of gravity, vertical impact, and oxygen consumption [20; 21; 22]. Therefore, understanding the cadence patterns of elite athletes in real competition context can help coaches and athletes develop training strategies for improved results and prevent sports injuries associated with vertical impacts of running. Considering the lack of studies analysing both landing technique of running and cadence during an Olympic marathon, this study had two objectives: to analyse both the footstrike pattern and cadence of participants in the men's marathon at the recent Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Aligned with these objectives, two hypotheses were proposed: (1) the majority of athletes participating in the Olympic Games marathon will exhibit a heel strike technique, and (2) the average cadence of the top eight athletes (finalists) will exceed 180 strikes per minute (>3 Hz).