Running Series #1
Returning to running?
Start training and avoid injuries.
How to Progress your Running Loads
Poor training habits are the number one cause of running related injury, and seeing as 25% of
runners are injured at any given time, careful progression of training loads is vital in injury
prevention.
So how much is too much? A 2014 study following 873 new runners for a year compared those who
sustained injury compared to those who didn’t. They grouped the runners depending on their
weekly increase in running distance: <10% increase, 10%-30% increase, and >30% in the 2 weeks
prior to injury.
They found that runners who increased their mileage by more than 30% had a significantly increased
rate of injury than those increasing mileage by <10%. That is, the bigger the jump in mileage week-
to-week, the higher the risk of sustaining injury.
They also found that those who ran longer distance at a faster pace had higher rates of knee injury,
shin splints and hip pain, whereas injuries including plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinopathy, calf and
hamstring injuries, and stress fractures were not linked to the 10% rule and may instead be the
result of other training errors.
In a nutshell: To better prevent running related injury, progress your running mileage by less than
30% over a 2-week period.
So, if you ran 15km in total during week 1, week 2’s collective distance should not exceed 19.5km.
For more assistance in planning your running program, give us a call on 9809 3854. Our physios can
help you achieve your goals while keeping injury away!
Beeta Tira
Has a special interest in Women’s Health and Running rehabilitation.
Kakouris, N., Yener, N., & Fong, D. (2021). A systematic review of running-related musculoskeletal
injuries in runners. Journal of sport and health science, 10(5), 513–522.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2021.04.001
Nielsen, R. Ø., Parner, E. T., Nohr, E. A., Sørensen, H., Lind, M., & Rasmussen, S. (2014). Excessive
progression in weekly running distance and risk of running-related injuries: an association which
varies according to type of injury. The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy, 44(10),
739–747. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2014.5164