A runner can move faster by taking more steps in a minute, covering more distance with each step, or changing both. That relationship explains why a cadence reading alone cannot tell you how fast someone is running.
Garmin defines running cadence as steps per minute, counting both feet. Check how your own device defines its metrics: “stride” can be used differently in technical discussions, while some running devices report the distance from one footfall to the next as stride length.
A small example makes the relationship visible
Suppose a runner takes 160 steps per minute and travels an average of one metre per step. That is 160 metres per minute. At the same step length, 170 steps would produce 170 metres per minute. These are invented arithmetic examples, not training prescriptions.
Now keep the cadence at 160 but change the average distance to 1.05 metres per step. The result is 168 metres per minute. Similar speeds can therefore arise from different combinations, and the numbers may change with terrain or the part of the run being measured.
Compare like with like
For a useful training note, record the route, approximate effort and whether the figures cover continuous running or include walking and stops. An average from a mixed session answers a different question from a short steady segment.
Do not chase a universal cadence number merely because another runner uses it. Nor should you force a longer step to improve the arithmetic. Technique changes, discomfort and injury concerns deserve individual guidance from an appropriate coach or clinician.
Try using the metrics first as a description: “On this flat section my pace increased while cadence changed very little.” That is an observation you can discuss. It is not proof that a particular movement change will make you faster or prevent injury.