Footstrike Pattern and Cadence of the Marathon Athletes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Abstract

Background: The footstrike pattern and cadence are two crucial variables associated with sports performance and injury risks. This study aimed to analyze the footstrike pattern and cadence of male elite athletes who participated in the Tokyo Olympic Games marathon. Methods: Two independent researchers examined the footstrike pattern of the first 51 participants at the 5 km mark of the race. Additionally, the cadences of the top eight athletes (finalists) were analyzed in three different segments of the race (10–20 km, 20–30 km, and 30–40 km). Descriptive statistics were used to present the main variables, and a repeated-measures ANOVA was conducted to explore cadence differences among race sections (p < 0.05). Results: The mean cadence of the eight finalists was 185.5 steps per minute (SD ± 5.1), and no significant differences were observed among race sections. The most common footstrike pattern was midfoot strike, followed by rearfoot strike, then forefoot strike. The cadence results are consistent with previous studies examining elite athletes, indicating higher values compared with research involving recreational runners. Conclusions: Most elite marathon athletes adopt a non-rearfoot strike pattern and maintain a cadence of more than 185 steps per minute.