# Tall people = better walkers. Short people = better runners. Right? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 18, 2017, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tall-people-better-walkers-short-people-better-runners-right/796659 "2017-09-18T19:02:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tall-people-better-walkers-short-people-better-runners-right/796659/21 "2017-09-19T14:54:20Z")
It is not being short that gives the advantage it is weighing less. That means less work to move the body. However, given a certain weight long legs will provide an advantage. For instance Hicham el Guerrou, the current world record holder in the mile has the same inseam as Micheal Phelps who is seven inches taller. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tall-people-better-walkers-short-people-better-runners-right/796659/22 "2017-09-19T15:13:20Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > One thing that is not equal is that weight does not scale up directly with height. It’s greater than 1:1…the taller you get, the heavier, proportionally you get. For any objects, weight scales with the **cube** of height, assume the two objects have the same proportions. And strength scales with the square of height. That’s why, for example, ants are so proportionally strong. It’s not anything special about magic ant muscles, it’s just that they’re small, so their strength is proportionally much greater than a larger animal. If a human were scaled to the size of an ant, it would be much stronger than the ant, since we have evolved (proportionally) much larger muscles to handle our (proportionally) much greater weight. An ant the size of a human (say, 200 times longer) wouldn’t have the strength to move at all, since the muscles in those spindly limbs would only be 40,000 times stronger, but it would weigh 8,000,000 times as much. ---
**Author:** ![upend](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b3f665/32.png) [@upend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/upend)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tall-people-better-walkers-short-people-better-runners-right/796659/23 "2017-09-20T12:14:34Z")
“ideal” running physiques change a lot depending on the distances involved. I heard Michael Johnson talking on the BBC about his own body shape during the recent world championships. Short legs long body - the latter giving stability whilst running (apparently). Short legs for quick stride For long distance, as noted above, light is good. and then there’s Bolt - the skill is having the muscle and balance to get into his stride so quickly for a tall man. Intererting article around the subject below. > **[Built for speed: what makes Usain Bolt so fast?](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/usain-bolt-worlds-fastest-man/0/built-for-speed-what-makes-usain-bolt-so-fast/)** > > ‘Here he comes! ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tall-people-better-walkers-short-people-better-runners-right/796659/24 "2017-09-20T13:02:22Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > I am 13 inches taller than that 5’7" average, and I’m a terrible runner. Finally, I understand your username! EDIT: And so, apparently, did others! ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tall-people-better-walkers-short-people-better-runners-right/796659/25 "2017-09-20T14:43:36Z")
Tall people, in general, will have longer legs, & therefore a longer stride. Short people, in general, will have shorter legs, & therefore a shorter stride, which can equate to more steps per time period. First, the above are generalities, not necessarily applying to any given person. Second, either extreme (few, long strides, or many, short ones) is probably not the most efficient but probably somewhere in the middle - above average stride length coupled with above average leg turnover. Finally, there are many other factors involved, how in shape one is, % of slow-twitch vs. fast-twitch muscles & race length - 100m vs. marathon, aerobic capacity, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tall-people-better-walkers-short-people-better-runners-right/796659/26 "2017-09-20T15:53:22Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Well, it could be that height is correlated with all those things, as well. I personally would have guessed tall and skinny would make the best runner, but it looks like there are tradeoffs and perhaps there’s a happy medium where for all the factors that go into making a good runner peak at an ideal of around 5’7". I’m not saying that is the case, but I’m not ready to discount it, either. It would be interesting to compare average height of best runners with average height within subgroups, to better control for genetic and cultural variations. Almost all the best marathoners are from one small subregion in Kenya. So it seems unsurprising that the average height of the best runners might match median height of Kenyans. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tall-people-better-walkers-short-people-better-runners-right/796659.md?page=1)