Sifan Hassan’s Running Form in 1500m vs. Marathon Racing
What is Sifan Hassan known for?
In this post we will dive deep into Sifan Hassan’s running form – but who is Sifan? You might know Sifan Hassan from her incredible comeback at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where she fell in the 1,500m heats, nevertheless won the race, and eventually took bronze in the finals. She also clinched gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m events at the same Olympics.
Or perhaps you remember her from the 2023 London Marathon, her very first marathon, where despite stopping twice with cramps, she went on to win the race. Following that, she won the Chicago Marathon.
At the Paris Olympics, she added three more medals to her haul from Tokyo. Sifan finished third in the grueling 5000m and 10,000m races just days before winning the Olympic marathon.
Sifan Hassan is arguably the most versatile runner of our time, ranked World No. 1 in the 1500m, 5000m, 10,000m, Women’s Road Running, and Women’s Overall Ranking at different points in her career. Today, we’ll analyze her running form from her 2019 Doha 1500m personal best and her 2023 Chicago Marathon.
Read on below or watch the video below!
Sifan Hassan’s Pacing for the 1500M vs. the Marathon
In the Chicago Marathon, Sifan averaged 3 minutes 10 seconds per kilometer, and her pace in Doha was 20% faster. We’ll see how she adapts her form for these very different races.
Sifan Hassan’s Cadence
During the 1500m, she uses a cadence of 197 steps per minute, compared to 180 steps per minute in the marathon. This difference is typical, as shorter, faster efforts usually have higher cadences.
In the marathon, Sifan’s cadence of 180 steps per minute is within the range of her world-class peers, though on the lower side as she stands slightly taller at 170cm. If you want to dive deep you can find also a running form comparison of Hellen Obiri and Letesenbet Gidey and Tigst Assefa on our blog.
Sifan Hassan’s Running Form (Lower Body)
Sifan’s midfoot landing is perfect in both events. In the 1500m, her ground contact time is 0.15 seconds, compared to 0.19 seconds in the marathon. Her 1500m step length is close to 2 meters, about 13% longer than her marathon step length, which illustrates how speed affects running mechanics, where cadence tends to remain more stable compared to step length.
She extends her shank to 18 degrees during the marathon, and even further to 26 degrees during the 1500m. Despite this, her shank angle at touchdown remains consistent at 2 degrees for both races – world class.
Sifan Hassan’s Running Form (Upper Body)
Sifan’s posture is flawless at any distance, with her head, thorax, and hip aligned in a straight line. Her arm angles are similar across both efforts, staying tight at 62 and 65 degrees.
Notably, she swings her elbows relatively far ahead of her torso while the backward swing stops right at the centerline.
Sifan started as a recreational runner in Ethiopia and arrived in the Netherlands as a refugee at 15. Her track club coach noted she was a natural runner, even though – and that’s a quote – ‘her legs and arms were going everywhere.’ Her transformation into a six-time Olympic medalist is nothing short of astounding.
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