The relationship between a runner’s height and speed is complex and varies significantly depending on the running distance. It is inaccurate to claim that shorter people universally run faster, as the advantages of height are specialized for different events. A runner’s speed is a product of their unique physical attributes combined with the biomechanical demands of the race.
Height and Observed Running Speed
Observing elite athletes reveals that the optimal height for running speed is event-dependent. For short-distance sprints, the fastest runners are often taller than average, exemplified by sprinters like Usain Bolt (6’5″ or 1.96 meters). Their height contributes to a longer stride, a major factor in achieving and maintaining maximum velocity in a short race.
Conversely, elite long-distance endurance runners frequently trend toward a shorter stature than the general population. Many of the most dominant marathon runners, such as Eliud Kipchoge and Kenenisa Bekele, are closer to 5’6″ (1.67 meters). This pattern suggests that while height offers an advantage in maximizing speed over a short burst, a more compact build may offer efficiency benefits over extended periods. A shorter build is often more advantageous for endurance events.
Biomechanics of Stride
Running speed is defined by the product of stride length and stride frequency (cadence). The mechanical difference between taller and shorter runners lies in how they achieve velocity through the trade-off between these two factors. Taller runners naturally benefit from a longer leg length, giving them the potential for a greater maximum stride length and allowing them to cover more ground with each step.
Shorter runners, with their shorter levers, compensate for a smaller stride length by achieving a higher stride frequency. Their limbs cycle faster, allowing them to take more steps per second and often resulting in quicker ground contact times. This faster turnover (cadence) is associated with a lower vertical displacement of the center of mass, which can contribute to a more efficient running form over time.
A longer leg also leads to a lower natural leg stiffness, which often results in a lower preferred stride frequency compared to a shorter leg, all else being equal. Successful runners of any height find the optimal balance between length and frequency that maximizes their unique power generation. The mechanical advantage of a long stride is not automatically superior to the efficiency of a high frequency, as both are different strategies to achieve the same speed.
Height Advantages Across Running Events
The specific demands of the event determine which height-related trait provides the greatest advantage. In short-distance sprinting, maximizing absolute velocity is best achieved through a superior stride length. Taller sprinters cover the required distance in fewer steps. This allows them to conserve energy and overcome the natural limit on how high the stride frequency can be pushed.
For long-distance endurance running, the primary concern shifts from maximizing speed to maximizing running economy and efficiency. Shorter runners generally carry less overall body mass, which requires less energy expenditure per stride cycle over the course of a long race. Smaller individuals also have a better surface area-to-volume ratio, which aids in heat dissipation during prolonged activity. This ability to cool more efficiently and carry less mass provides a physiological advantage in events like the marathon, where sustained effort and energy conservation are paramount.