Most Common Running Injuries ( And How to Avoid Them)

With great running comes great responsibility: avoiding injury. There’s nothing more disappointing for an avid runner than a rest-inducing injury – yet running injuries are extremely common.

These are the top seven most common running injuries, with tips to avoid each of them.

Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the plantar fascia. That's the thick band of tissue in the bottom of the foot that extends from the heel to the toes. It usually presents with severe heel pain, especially with the first steps in the morning. This is a common running-related injury, especially if you don’t stretch or might be wearing the wrong shoes.

People with tight calf muscles and a high arch are more prone to plantar fasciitis. Although it may be linked to adding activity, plantar fasciitis can also happen without any obvious reason.

How to avoid Plantar fasciitis:

  • Stretch the bottoms of your feet before running

  • Wear shoes with the right arch support – or invest in custom orthotics

  • Rest at the first sign of pain (and make an appointment with a professional

Runner’s Knee

Runner’s knee describes pain around the kneecap when going up or down stairs, squatting, or sitting with the knee bent for a long time. It occurs when your kneecap is out of alignment, typically as a result of the wearing down of the cartilage. If you have knee pain, you may have this common running injury.

How to avoid runner’s knee:

  • Stretch before running, particularly the quadriceps, hamstrings and calves.

  • Strengthen your core and leg muscles with weight training

  • Give your body a running break and try other types of cardio, such as swimming or jumping on a stationary bike

IT (iliotibial) band syndrome

IT band syndrome causes pain on the outside of the knee. The IT band is a ligament that runs along the outside of the thigh, from the top of the hip to the outside of the knee. It happens when the ligament thickens and rubs the knee bone, causing inflammation.

How to avoid IT band syndrome:

  • Always include a warm up, stretch, and cool down in your running routine

  • Listen to your body – don’t push yourself too hard if you feel fatigued

  • Replace your running shoes when they get worn down

  • Work with a physical therapist to review your running technique and implement corrections

Muscle Pull/Strain

This is a small tear in your muscle, which is often caused by overstretching a muscle. If you pull a muscle, you may feel a popping sensation when the muscle tears. Runners often experience muscle strains in their calf muscle or hamstring. Muscle strains are a very common running injury.

How to avoid a muscle strain:

  • Always include a warm up, stretch, and cool down in your running routine

  • Increase your running volume slowly

  • Incorporate weight training into your exercise routine to strengthen key muscles

Achilles tendonitis/achilles tendinopathy

This is inflammation of the Achilles tendon, the large tendon that attaches the calf to the back of the heel. Achilles tendinitis causes pain and stiffness in the area of the tendon, especially in the morning and with activity. It is usually caused by repetitive stress to the tendon.

How to avoid Achilles tendonitis:

  • Stretch your calf muscles before and after running

  • Replace your worn-out shoes and get shoes with proper support and cushioning

  • Strengthen calf muscles with strength training

Shin Splints

Shin splints describe pain that happens in the front or inside of the lower leg along the shin bone (tibia). Shin splints are a common running injury after changing your workout routine, such as running longer distances or increasing the number of days you run, too quickly.  They may feel like a stress fracture of the shin, but the pain is usually more spread out along the bone.

How to avoid shin splints:

  • Wear well-fitting shoes with good arch support

  • Avoid running on hard or uneven surfaces. Try hitting the track at your local high school!

  • Warm up and stretch before every run

Stress Fractures

Stress fractures are a small crack in a bone that causes pain and discomfort. It typically affects runners in the shin and feet. It's often due to working too hard before your body gets used to a new activity. Runners commonly get stress fractures in their feet, shins, knees, and hips.

How to avoid stress fractures:

  • Slowly increase your running volume (experts suggest 10% increase per week)

  • Add strength training and alternative cardio workouts to your exercise routine

You may have noticed that many of these injuries have the same or similar recomendations to avoid them! In general, if you want to avoid running injury, you should:

  • Warm up and stretch before running

  • Incorporate strength training and focus on major leg muscles and core

  • Mix it up with low impact cardio such as swimming or cycling

  • Wear proper-fitting shoes with arch support, and replace your shoes as they get worn down

  • Slowly increase running volume or intensity

  • Listen to your body. End your workout when you feel fatigued, and work with a physical therapist if you experience chronic pain.

If you want to avoid these common running injuries, schedule a consultation to learn more about gait analysis and running performance training.

Charlotte Spangler