Running Injuries

Running injuries percentages by body region infographic

Running injuries usually develop when training load rises faster than your body can adapt. They often affect the knee, shin, ankle, foot, and calf, although symptoms can also spread into the hip or back. If knee pain is your main problem, you can also browse our broader knee injury guide for related conditions.

Most problems in runners are overuse injuries rather than single traumatic events. Research commonly reports about 5 running-related injuries per 1000 running-hours, with the knee and lower leg among the most affected regions. That is why good load management, recovery, and early symptom control matter for both recreational and competitive runners.

If you also mix your training with other endurance activities, see our sports injuries hub, walking, and cycling injuries pages. For treatment support, visit sports injury physiotherapy.

Choose your clinic

Book Online View Phone Numbers

Experienced Physiotherapists · Remedial Massage · Accredited Exercise Physiology · All private health funds · HICAPS on-the-spot

Physical Demands of Running

Running places repeated load through the foot, ankle, calf, shin, knee, hip, and trunk. Each stride asks your tissues to absorb force, control landing, and then push off again. Therefore, even a small training error can become a bigger issue when it is repeated thousands of times in one week.

Where Do Running Injuries Usually Occur?

Most running injuries affect the lower limb. The knee is often the most commonly reported site, followed by the shin, foot, ankle, calf, and Achilles. However, pelvic control, hip strength, and trunk endurance can also influence how stress spreads through the body during longer runs.

Foot — repeated impact, footwear mismatch, and longer runs can trigger heel and arch pain such as plantar fasciitis.
Ankle — uneven ground, trail surfaces, and fatigue can increase the risk of a sprained ankle.
Shin — load spikes, hard surfaces, and hills can aggravate shin splints or a tibial stress fracture.
Calf and Achilles — speed sessions, hills, and faster training blocks can flare Achilles tendinopathy or calf overload.
Knee — downhill running and rapid volume increases can worsen runner’s knee or outer knee pain such as ITB syndrome.
Hip and pelvis — weak hip control and poor load tolerance can contribute to gluteal, groin, or pelvic overload.
Back — stiffness, reduced trunk endurance, and fatigue can aggravate lower back pain.

Most Common Running Injuries

Shin splints
Shin pain that builds with impact load, especially after hills or sharp increases in weekly kilometres.
Runner’s knee
Front-of-knee pain that often flares with downhill running, stairs, or higher-volume training blocks.
Achilles tendinopathy
Stiffness or pain in the Achilles that commonly worsens with speed work, hills, and sudden load spikes.
Plantar fasciitis
Heel or arch pain that is often worse after rest, then eases as you warm up.
Tibial stress fracture
More localised pain that can linger after training and worsen with hopping or repeated impact.

Why Do Running Injuries Happen?

Most running injuries happen because repeated load exceeds your tissue capacity. This may occur when volume and intensity rise together, recovery drops, or underlying strength and control are not keeping pace with the training block. In other words, the problem is often not running itself, but how much load your body is being asked to tolerate.

Training Errors and Risk Factors

Both recreational and competitive runners get injured. However, risk often rises when training changes faster than your tissues can adapt. That can happen after:

a sudden jump in weekly kilometres
adding speed work, hills, or trail sessions too quickly
returning after illness, travel, or a long break
trying to increase distance and pace in the same week
ignoring early pain that keeps returning in the same area

Fatigue can also change your stride, reduce landing control, and lower calf, hip, or trunk performance. As a result, you may notice that running injuries start to show up during harder sessions, longer runs, or the day after training.

Injury Risk in Beginner vs Experienced Runners

Beginner runners often get injured when enthusiasm outpaces conditioning. They may add distance too quickly, use unsuitable shoes, or stack too many hard sessions into one week. More experienced runners usually have better tissue capacity, but they can still overload when race preparation, speed work, or total volume becomes too aggressive.

How Running Shoes Can Contribute to Injury Risk

Running shoes can influence how load is distributed through the foot, calf, Achilles, and knee. A new shoe model, worn-out midsoles, a rapid change in heel drop, or switching between road and trail shoes can all shift stress. Shoes do not cause every injury, but they should match your current training goals, terrain, and tolerance.

Why Do Runners Get Shin Pain?

Runners often get shin pain when impact load, hills, speed work, or overall volume rises quickly. The most common causes include shin splints and, in more concerning cases, a tibial stress fracture. Localised pain that worsens with hopping or lingers after exercise deserves early assessment.

Why Does My Knee Hurt When Running?

Knee pain in runners often relates to repeated load, control deficits, downhill running, or sudden increases in training. Common causes include runner’s knee and ITB syndrome. In endurance sports such as cycling, similar load issues can also affect the knee.

Why Does My Heel or Achilles Hurt After Running?

Heel or Achilles pain often reflects a load tolerance problem rather than a single incident. Repeated push-off, faster running, hills, and reduced calf strength can aggravate Achilles tendinopathy or plantar fasciitis. Morning stiffness, pain after rest, or worsening symptoms during a training block are common clues.

How Physiotherapy, EP & Massage Can Help

Physiotherapy for running injuries starts with finding the main driver of your symptoms, not just the sore spot. Your physiotherapist may assess training history, single-leg control, calf and hip strength, ankle range, recovery patterns, and running mechanics where relevant.

Next, your plan may include load modification, a graded return-to-running progression, strength targets, and advice on warm-up, footwear, and recovery. Exercise physiology can support conditioning and structured training progression, especially if you want to maintain fitness while reducing impact load. Massage may also help manage muscle soreness and tolerance during a heavy training block, but it usually works best alongside a clear exercise and load plan.

Injury Prevention Tips for Runners

Change one thing at a time: increase distance or intensity, not both in the same week.
Keep easy days easy: use low-intensity sessions to build volume without constant strain.
Build lower-leg capacity: calf, soleus, and foot strength often helps with resilience.
Use a smart warm-up: prepare the hips, calves, and ankles before harder sessions. See warming up.
Plan recovery: sleep, nutrition, and spacing hard sessions reduce fatigue-related breakdown.
Review footwear: match shoes to your goals and replace worn pairs before they fail.
Cross-train when needed: cycling, swimming, or strength work can maintain fitness with less impact.

When Should You See a Physiotherapist for Running Pain?

Book an assessment if pain persists across runs, changes your stride, returns after rest, or keeps building through a training block. You should also get checked sooner if you notice swelling, bruising, a sudden pop, limping, giving way, or local bone pain that raises concern about stress injury.

Returning Safely to Running

A graded return usually works better than a test-run approach. Start with run-walk intervals, monitor next-day symptoms, and leave at least 48 hours between early impact sessions. Then, build gradually while continuing strength and control work.

FAQs

Why do runners get injured?

Most running injuries happen when load rises faster than your body can adapt. Sudden changes in weekly kilometres, hills, speed work, terrain, or shoes commonly contribute.

How can you prevent running injuries?

Progress training gradually, strengthen key areas such as the calf, foot, and hip, and keep recovery consistent. It also helps to change one training variable at a time and act early when pain first appears.

Where do most running injuries occur?

Most problems involve the foot, shin, ankle, and knee. Common examples include shin splints and runner’s knee.

When should you stop running with pain?

Stop if pain changes your stride, worsens during the run, or lingers into the next day. Also, pause sooner for sharp, localised pain, swelling, or suspected bone stress symptoms.

Do I need a running assessment?

If your pain keeps recurring, a running assessment can help identify load errors, strength gaps, and technique factors so your plan matches your goals and weekly schedule.

What to Do Next

If running injuries are limiting your training, our physiotherapists can assess movement, guide load management, and help you return to running with more confidence.

Book your preferred clinic below to get started.

Muscle & Soft Tissue Products

These muscle and soft tissue products are commonly used by our physiotherapists to relax or loosen muscles, improve strength, comfort, flexibility, and home exercise programs.