Which Factors are Most Associated with Running Injuries?

When runners get injured, it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what caused it. Was it training? Gait? Previous injury? Age? Sex? Running history? The list goes on.

A recent study sought to investigate top potential risk factors, and evaluate their potential in injury screening. They evaluated 225 recreational runners for a year, and included male and female runners from ages 20s-60s. The challenge in identifying risk factors is no one has just one - most runners have many factors that may impact their risk of injury.

In the study, researchers found that over the year, 52% of the runners experienced at least one running related injury (unfortunately a stat similar to other studies). Injured runners missed an average of 56 days due to running-related-injury. Calf strain (15%), followed by Achilles tendon injury (11%) and plantar fasciopathy (9%) constituted the largest proportion of injuries. These numbers are also similar to findings in other studies.

They determined that injury history of the past year, less navicular drop (a measurement of foot pronation), and measures of running technique (knee, hip, and pelvis kinematics) were associated with increased odds of injury.

And conversely, physical stature, demographics, strength, range of motion, and measures of impact acceleration were not significantly associated with injury. Interesting, right?!

This study emphasizes the multifactorial nature of running related injuries and finds that factors remain outstanding that contribute to running-related injury development. Although these factors had a 74% accuracy in discriminating between injured and uninjured; the use of these variables as screening tests may have limited value. Ultimately, it’s still a challenge to sufficiently measure and identify risk factors.

What Does This Mean for Me?

The good news is the study found that factors out of your control don’t really impact your risk of injury. Instead, working on your running technique and gait can be hugely beneficial to your injury risk. A great place to start is with a 3D running analysis to understand what you need to work on.