Running injuries - risk factors

If you have a runner in the house (or if you are one yourself) you probably know that injuries go with the territory.

This paper examined some of the key risk factors for overuse injuries.

Risk factors for overuse injuries in short- and long-distance running: A systematic review

For long distance runners, the risk factor with the strongest evidence was a previous running related injury. So if you’ve been hurt once, it really pays to stay focused on re-habd and pre-hab work to avoid having it pop up again.

For short distance runners, a previous injury not related to running was the strongest risk factor. So watch out for injuries that might carry over from other sports. Higher body mass index, higher age, sex (male), having no previous running experience, and lower running volume were strong risk factors as well.