Garmin Running Dynamics: Reference Pages for Every Metric
Reference pages for Garmin’s running dynamics metrics — the biomechanical measurements of the running stride captured during activity by a compatible chest strap, waistband pod, or wrist sensor.
- Cadence — steps per minute, counting both feet combined. The foundational stride-rate metric is available from the wrist sensor on all running dynamics-capable devices.
- Vertical Oscillation — vertical movement of the torso between strides, measured in centimetres. Lower values at a given pace are associated with better running economy.
- Ground Contact Time — milliseconds each foot spends on the ground per stride. Shorter values at a given pace are associated with better elastic energy return through the tendons.
- Stride Length — distance covered per stride in metres, derived from GPS pace and cadence. Unreliable on a treadmill where GPS speed is unavailable.
- Vertical Ratio — vertical oscillation divided by stride length, expressed as a percentage. A composite efficiency indicator weighting the cost of vertical movement against forward distance per stride.
- Ground Contact Balance — left/right symmetry of ground contact time as a percentage. Requires a chest strap or Running Dynamics Pod; not available from the wrist sensor alone.
- Leg Spring Stiffness — an estimate of leg stiffness during the stance phase. Higher values are associated with greater elastic energy return and are typically observed in faster, more experienced runners.
How These Metrics Connect
Running dynamics metrics are displayed during and after activity using a colour-coded gauge that places each reading within a percentile band relative to a reference population of runners studied by Garmin. The gauges are calibrated from chest strap reference data. Wrist-based values are produced by a different accelerometer at a different position on the body and are not directly comparable to chest-derived readings — switching sensor type mid-training block creates a discontinuity in trend data that can appear as a change in running form but is not.
Cadence and stride length together determine pace. Vertical oscillation and stride length together produce vertical ratio. Ground contact time and ground contact balance together describe how load is distributed across each foot. A change in one metric is almost always accompanied by a shift in at least one other.
A seventh metric, Step Speed Loss, captures the deceleration of the foot at initial contact and requires the HRM-600 chest strap in BLE secure connection mode. It is not available from any other sensor, including the wrist accelerometer, and underpins the Running Economy feature introduced with the Forerunner 970 in May 2025.
About Running Dynamics Hardware
Garmin introduced running dynamics in 2014 on the Forerunner 620 with the HRM-Run chest strap, initially capturing cadence, vertical oscillation, and ground contact time. The full six-metric suite — adding ground contact balance, stride length, and vertical ratio — became available in 2015 on the Forerunner 630. The Running Dynamics Pod, placing the sensor at the waistband, launched in 2017.
Wrist-based running dynamics arrived in March 2023, first on the Forerunner 265 and 965 at launch, then extended by firmware update to the Fenix 7 series, Epix Gen 2, Forerunner 255 and 955 series, and several other current-generation devices. Ground Contact Balance cannot be resolved from a single wrist sensor and remains exclusive to chest strap and pod measurements on all devices.
Compatible external accessories include the HRM-Run, HRM-Tri, HRM-Pro Plus, HRM-600, HRM-Fit, and Running Dynamics Pod. The HRM-Fit and HRM-Pro Plus must be paired in ANT+ mode — not Bluetooth — to transmit dynamics data. Pairing via Bluetooth delivers heart rate only, with no dynamics output.
