Running looks simple from the outside. Shoes on, door open, start moving.
But anyone who runs regularly knows the body has opinions. A small ache near the knee, a tight Achilles, sore shins, a sharp feeling under the foot. Sometimes it settles. Sometimes it slowly turns into the thing that stops you running.
Running injuries are common, especially when training load increases faster than the body can adapt. The good news is that many running overuse injuries are not random. They often come from patterns that can be identified and managed: load spikes, poor recovery, strength gaps, footwear changes, running technique, or returning too quickly after time off.
Here are the most common running injuries, why they happen, and how to reduce your risk without giving up running altogether.
How Common Are Running Injuries?
Running injuries are common across beginners, recreational runners and competitive athletes. Research suggests a large proportion of runners experience a running-related injury at some point, with overuse injuries making up a major share.
That does not mean running is bad for you. It means running is a repetitive load. Every step asks the body to absorb and produce force. If your tissues are prepared for that load, running can be a great way to build fitness, strength and mental wellbeing. If the load jumps too quickly, the same repetition can become irritating.
The goal of running injury prevention is not to remove all risk. It is to help your body tolerate the running you want to do.
Why Running Injuries Happen
Most common running injuries are overuse injuries. That means they build gradually rather than coming from one dramatic moment.
Common contributors include:
- Increasing distance, speed or hills too quickly
- Starting running after a long break
- Running too often without enough recovery
- Sudden changes in shoes or running surface
- Weakness through the hips, calves, feet or trunk
- Reduced ankle, hip or thoracic mobility
- Poor sleep, stress or general fatigue
- Returning to running before an injury has fully settled
- Ignoring early symptoms until they become harder to manage
The pattern is usually simple: the body is asked to do more than it is currently prepared for.
Runner’s Knee
Runner’s knee usually refers to pain around or behind the kneecap, often called patellofemoral pain.
It may feel worse with:
- Running downhill
- Stairs
- Squats or lunges
- Sitting with knees bent for a long time
- Increasing running volume or speed
Runner’s knee can be influenced by hip strength, thigh strength, foot mechanics, running load and how the knee is tracking under repeated impact.
Rehab often focuses on strengthening the hips and quads, adjusting training load, and gradually rebuilding running tolerance.
Shin Splints
Shin splints, often called medial tibial stress syndrome, usually cause pain along the inner edge of the shin bone.
They are common in beginner runners and people returning after time away, especially when running volume increases quickly.
Shin splints may be linked with:
- Sudden increases in distance or frequency
- Hard surfaces
- Hill running
- Poor recovery
- Calf weakness or tightness
- Foot and ankle control issues
- Inappropriate footwear for the person
Mild shin pain may settle with load changes, but shin pain that becomes sharp, localised, or painful during normal walking should be assessed, as stress reactions and stress fractures need different management.
IT Band Syndrome
IT band syndrome often causes pain on the outside of the knee, especially after a certain distance or during downhill running.
It can be frustrating because the pain may not appear straight away. You might feel fine for the first few kilometres, then the outside of the knee starts to bite.
Contributing factors can include:
- Rapid increases in running distance
- Downhill running
- Hip control or strength deficits
- Running form and stride mechanics
- Too little recovery between sessions
Treatment usually looks beyond the IT band itself. It often includes hip strengthening, load management, running technique review and gradual return to running.
Achilles Tendon Pain
Achilles tendon pain is common in runners because the Achilles works hard every time you push off.
It may feel like:
- Morning stiffness at the back of the ankle
- Pain at the start of a run that warms up
- Soreness after running
- Tenderness or thickening around the tendon
- Pain with hills, speed work or jumping
Achilles tendon pain often responds best to a careful loading plan. Rest alone may calm symptoms, but the tendon usually needs progressive strengthening to tolerate running again.
If there is a sudden pop, major weakness, bruising or difficulty pushing off, seek prompt assessment to rule out a more serious tendon injury.
Plantar Fasciitis in Runners
Plantar fasciitis, or plantar heel pain, often causes pain under the heel or arch of the foot.
It is commonly worse:
- First thing in the morning
- After sitting for a while
- At the start of a run
- After long periods on your feet
- When running volume increases
In runners, plantar fasciitis can be linked with calf capacity, foot strength, training load, footwear and running surface.
Treatment may include load management, calf and foot strengthening, mobility work, footwear advice and gradual return to running.
Running Ankle Pain
Running ankle pain can come from several sources, including tendon irritation, joint stiffness, previous ankle sprains, overload or poor control around the foot and ankle.
It is worth paying attention if ankle pain is linked with:
- Swelling
- Giving way
- Repeated rolling
- Pain on uneven ground
- Pain that changes your running style
- Pain that does not settle with reduced load
If you have had repeated ankle sprains, return to running rehab should usually include balance, calf strength, foot control and sport-specific progressions where relevant.
Common Beginner Running Injuries
Beginner runners often get injured because their fitness improves faster than their tissues adapt.
Your lungs may feel ready for another run, but your shins, calves, knees or feet may need more time.
Common beginner running injuries include:
- Shin splints
- Runner’s knee
- Achilles tendon pain
- Calf strains
- Plantar fasciitis
- Hip or glute pain
- Running ankle pain
If you are new to running, the safest progress usually comes from starting smaller than you think you need to and building gradually.
How to Avoid Running Injuries
You cannot guarantee that you will avoid every running injury, but you can reduce your risk.
Build Gradually
Avoid sudden jumps in distance, pace, hills or frequency. If you change one variable, keep the others steady for a while.
Strength Train
Strength training can help prepare the body for running load. Useful areas often include calves, quads, hamstrings, glutes, hips, feet and trunk.
Respect Recovery
Running adaptation happens between sessions, not just during them. Sleep, nutrition, rest days and easier weeks all matter.
Rotate Intensity
Not every run should be hard. Mixing easy runs, rest days and harder sessions helps reduce repeated overload.
Watch Early Warning Signs
Recurring pain in the same area, morning stiffness, swelling, limping, or symptoms that worsen run to run are signs to adjust early.
Review Footwear and Surface Changes
New shoes, worn-out shoes, sudden trail running, more concrete, or extra hills can all change load. Make changes gradually where possible.
Do You Need a Running Gait Assessment?
Not every runner needs a detailed running gait assessment. But it can be useful if:
- The same injury keeps returning
- Pain appears at a predictable distance or pace
- You are returning after injury
- You have changed shoes or running style and symptoms started
- You are increasing training for an event
- You are unsure why running keeps flaring symptoms
A running gait assessment may look at cadence, stride, foot strike, hip control, trunk position, knee movement and how your body handles load.
The aim is not to force everyone into one perfect running style. It is to identify movement patterns that may be contributing to your symptoms and decide whether small changes could help.
Return to Running Rehab
Returning to running after injury should be planned, not guessed.
A return to running rehab plan may include:
- A pain and swelling baseline
- Walking tolerance
- Strength and mobility targets
- Run-walk intervals
- Gradual increases in running time
- Rest days between early runs
- Progression from flat ground to hills or speed
- Sport-specific work if needed
The right plan depends on the injury. Returning from shin splints is not the same as returning from Achilles tendon pain, runner’s knee or plantar fasciitis.
When to Get Professional Support
It is worth booking an assessment if:
- Pain keeps returning when you run
- Pain changes your running style
- Symptoms are getting worse week to week
- You have swelling, instability or limping
- Shin pain is sharp or localised
- Achilles pain is linked with weakness or a sudden pop
- Foot pain is affecting walking
- You are training for an event and do not want to guess your way through rehab
Seek prompt medical care for severe pain, major swelling, inability to bear weight, numbness, progressive weakness, suspected fracture, or symptoms after a fall or sudden injury.
Running Injury Treatment at Next Phase Injury Therapy
At Next Phase Injury Therapy in Yagoona, our team supports runners with running injuries, sports injuries, overuse pain and return to running rehab.
We work with you to:
- Understand what may be contributing to your running pain
- Review training load, recovery and recent changes
- Assess strength, mobility and movement patterns
- Provide physiotherapy for running injuries
- Guide running injury treatment and sports injury rehabilitation
- Support a gradual return to running, training or sport
If you are looking for running injury treatment in Yagoona, sports injury treatment, physiotherapy Yagoona, running gait assessment or injury rehabilitation Yagoona, our team can help assess where you are now and what the next step should look like.
Explore our physiotherapy, chiropractic and clinical Pilates services, or book an appointment with Next Phase Injury Therapy. We are located at 444 Hume Highway, Yagoona NSW 2199, and open 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.
Frequently Asked Questions About Running Injuries
What are the most common running injuries?
Common running injuries include runner’s knee, shin splints, IT band syndrome, Achilles tendon pain, plantar fasciitis, calf strains and running ankle pain.
How can I avoid running injuries?
You cannot avoid every injury, but you can reduce your risk by building training gradually, strength training, allowing recovery, avoiding sudden changes in shoes or surfaces, and adjusting early when symptoms appear.
What causes running overuse injuries?
Running overuse injuries usually happen when repeated load exceeds what the body is currently prepared for. This may come from sudden increases in distance, pace, hills, frequency, poor recovery or strength deficits.
What are common beginner running injuries?
Common beginner running injuries include shin splints, runner’s knee, Achilles tendon pain, calf pain, plantar fasciitis and ankle pain. Beginners often need more time for tissues to adapt to running load.
What are shin splints?
Shin splints usually describe pain along the inner shin, often linked with increased running load, hard surfaces, calf capacity, foot control or training changes. Sharp or worsening shin pain should be assessed.
Can physiotherapy help with running injuries?
Physiotherapy may help by assessing the injury, reviewing training load, identifying strength or mobility deficits, guiding exercises, and planning a gradual return to running.
This article provides general information only and is not a substitute for individual clinical assessment or medical advice. Running injuries vary, and treatment should be tailored to your symptoms, training history and goals. If pain is severe, worsening or not improving, speak with a qualified health practitioner.
References
- Kakouris, N., Yener, N., and Fong, D. T. P. “A Systematic Review of Running-Related Musculoskeletal Injuries in Runners.” Journal of Sport and Health Science, 2021. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8500811/
- Videbaek, S., et al. “Incidence of Running-Related Injuries Per 1000 h of Running in Different Types of Runners: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Sports Medicine, 2015. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4473093/
- van der Worp, M. P., et al. “Injuries in Runners: A Systematic Review on Risk Factors and Sex-Specific Differences.” PLOS ONE, 2015. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4338213/
- Nielsen, R. O., et al. “Training Errors and Running Related Injuries: A Systematic Review.” International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 2012. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22389869/
- Linton, L., et al. “Running-Centred Injury Prevention Support: A Scoping Review on Current Injury Risk Reduction Practices for Runners.” Sports Medicine – Open, 2025. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11986186/
Information on this page is general in nature and is not a substitute for individualised advice from a registered health practitioner. Our practitioners are registered with AHPRA.
