Now this is interesting. I never knew this, but I did find out through trial and error that bigger strides = more energy expended. Therefore, when running up a hill, shorter is better, and when running for distance, shorter is also better, so this confirms it. I will admit that my sprint steps are still longer than my fast jog/easy run steps, because, as the article explains,  it’s counter-intuitive to shorten strides when you want to go faster.

The Essentials Of Run Cadence.