# Foot strike Pattern and Cadence of the Marathon Athletes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
## 4 Discussion
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Study**} & **Present Study** & **[PERSON] (2019)**[2] & **[PERSON] (2014)**[15] & **[PERSON] (2011)**[14] & **[PERSON] (2007)**[13] \\ \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Distance} & \multirow{2}{*}{Marathon} & \multirow{2}{*}{Marathon} & Ultra- & \multirow{2}{*}{Marathon} & Half \\  & & & marathon & & marathon \\ \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{
\begin{tabular}{c} Rearfoot strike \\ pattern (\%) \\ \end{tabular} } & \multirow{2}{*}{33.4 *} & \multirow{2}{*}{65} & \multirow{2}{*}{89} & \multirow{2}{*}{96} & \multirow{2}{*}{60} \\  & & & & & \\ \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 4: Comparison with other studies. Regarding the analysis of footstrike patterns, the study utilized a single kilomet point in the early phase of the race. While this could be seen as a limitation in terms of not having a comprehensive view of the entire race, it is worth noting that a previous study by [PERSON] et al. found, on the basis of the analysis of four kilometre points, that more than 75% of athletes maintained a consistent footstrike technique throughout the marathon race at the 2017 World Championshipships [2]. Therefore, from a methodological perspective, the approach used in this study can be considered appropriate for analysing a high-level competition such as the Olympic Games. The second objective of this study focused on cadence, with the hypothesis that the Olympic marathon finalists would exhibit a cadence greater than 180 steps per minute (>3 Hz). The descriptive analysis confirmed this hypothesis, as the mean cadence was found to be 185.5 steps per minute. This finding is consistent with the analysis of the London 2017 World Championships Maryathon, where the mean cadence of the eight finalists was 183.15 [27], indicating results similar to those of this study. These cadence values were higher than those observed in long-distance trained athletes [21] and recreational runners [28], where the mean cadence of the analysed samples did not exceed 180 steps per minute. It is important to note that cadence is influenced by various factors, such as speed, weight, technique, distance covered, and the height of the athlete. There is no single cadence value that applies to all athletes and distances. Cadence should be individualized according to each athlete's specific needs, considering that slight increases (5%) in preferred cadence can reduce load on the hip and knee joints, minimize vertical movement of the body's centre of mass, and decrease braking forces [20]. On the basis of the present study and the available literature on cadence, it is recommended that high-level marathon athletes with a running speed of approximately 18 km/h maintain a cadence of approximately 185 steps per minute (3.08 Hz). The stability of cadence observed throughout the Olympic marathon was noteworthy despite adverse weather conditions (26 \({}^{\circ}\)C to 28 \({}^{\circ}\)C, with humidity between 72% and 80%). The values remained consistent during the race, with a mean coefficient of variation of 2.7% (\(p>0.05\)), which is consistent with findings from previous studies [16]. Even the winner of the marathon, [PERSON], who ran the second half of the race two minutes faster than the first half, maintained a constant cadence. He achieved this by increasing his stride width to increase speed in the latter part of the race. Specifically, his cadence for the 10 th to 20 th kilometre was 186 steps per minute, for the 20 th to 30 th kilometre, it was 185 steps per minute, and for the 30 th to 40 th kilomet, it was 187 steps per minute. Cadence is a variable that is easily adjustable during training and has a direct effect on various biomechanical variables, as we have presented in previous paragraphs, such as foot strike angle. When cadence increases, runners reduce the foot strike angle [29]. This helps transition to a midfoot strike. Additionally, training cadence can be an interesting tool for managing fatigue in the final stages of a race.