Running is one of the most accessible and beneficial forms of exercise — but it also has one of the highest injury rates of any recreational sport. Up to 79% of runners sustain an injury in any given year. At Burwood Physio, we treat runners from Burwood, Strathfield, Homebush, and across the Inner West, and we see the same preventable injuries repeatedly. This guide covers the most common running injuries, their causes, and evidence-based strategies to keep you running consistently.
Why Runners Get Injured
The vast majority of running injuries are overuse injuries — not traumatic accidents. They develop when the cumulative load on a tissue exceeds its capacity to adapt. The most common contributing factors are: too much, too soon (rapid increases in weekly mileage); inadequate recovery between sessions; poor running biomechanics that increase load on specific structures; muscle weakness or imbalance (particularly hip abductors and gluteals); footwear problems; and running surface changes.
The 10% rule — never increase weekly mileage by more than 10% per week — is a reasonable guideline for injury-free progression, though the evidence suggests that any rapid change in training load is risky regardless of the percentage.
The Five Most Common Running Injuries
1. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (Runner’s Knee): Pain around or behind the kneecap, aggravated by downhill running, stairs, and prolonged sitting. Caused by increased patellofemoral joint stress from hip abductor weakness, excessive hip adduction during stance, and foot pronation. Treatment: hip strengthening, gait retraining, load management. Recovery: 6–12 weeks with consistent rehabilitation.
2. IT Band Syndrome: Sharp lateral knee pain that develops at a predictable point during a run (often 15–20 minutes in). Caused by repetitive compression of the iliotibial band over the lateral femoral condyle, driven by hip abductor weakness and excessive hip adduction. Treatment: hip strengthening, gait retraining, dry needling. Recovery: 6–8 weeks.
3. Plantar Fasciitis: Heel pain worst with first steps in the morning and after periods of rest. Caused by excessive tensile load on the plantar fascia, often from calf tightness, intrinsic foot weakness, and sudden mileage increases. Treatment: progressive loading (intrinsic foot and calf strengthening), night splinting, shockwave therapy for chronic cases. Recovery: 6–12 weeks.
4. Achilles Tendinopathy: Pain and stiffness at the Achilles tendon, worst in the morning and after runs. Caused by excessive compressive and tensile load on the tendon, particularly from rapid mileage increases and hill running. Treatment: heavy slow resistance training (heel drops), load management, shockwave for chronic cases. Recovery: 12–16 weeks.
5. Shin Splints (Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome): Diffuse pain along the inner shin during and after running. Caused by repetitive bone stress from high-impact loading, often in new runners or those who’ve rapidly increased mileage. Treatment: load management, calf strengthening, biomechanical assessment. Recovery: 4–8 weeks; must be differentiated from stress fracture.
Evidence-Based Prevention Strategies
Strength training: Runners who add twice-weekly strength training have significantly lower injury rates. Key exercises: single-leg squats, Romanian deadlifts, hip abductor exercises (clamshells, side-lying hip abduction, lateral band walks), calf raises (eccentric focus), and Nordic hamstring curls. You don’t need to lift heavy — bodyweight and light resistance exercises done consistently are highly effective.
Gradual load progression: Use the 10% rule as a maximum, not a target. Many runners do better with 5–7% weekly mileage increases. Don’t increase mileage and intensity simultaneously. When adding a new workout type (hills, intervals, tempo), reduce easy mileage to compensate.
Running cadence: A cadence of 170–180 steps per minute (strides per minute) significantly reduces impact loading compared to lower cadences. This is one of the most evidence-supported gait modifications for injury prevention. A metronome app is a practical way to target your cadence during training runs.
Adequate recovery: Most recreational runners undervalue recovery. At least one complete rest day per week, 7–9 hours of sleep, and adequate protein intake (1.6–2.0g per kg bodyweight) are non-negotiables for consistent training without breakdown.
Footwear: Worn-out shoes lose significant cushioning and stability. Replace running shoes every 600–800km. The “best” shoe is the one that is comfortable for you — there is no universal evidence that one shoe type prevents injury across all runners.
When to See a Physiotherapist
See a physiotherapist if: pain during a run forces you to change your gait or stop; pain persists more than 24 hours after a run; the same pain has recurred more than twice; you have localised bone tenderness (possible stress fracture — requires urgent assessment); or pain is accompanied by swelling, bruising, or neurological symptoms.
Don’t wait until you can’t run. Early physiotherapy assessment identifies the specific diagnosis and contributing factors — and produces significantly faster recovery and lower recurrence than self-management alone.
Running Injury Physiotherapy in Burwood
Burwood Physio provides running injury assessment and rehabilitation for runners across Burwood, Strathfield, Homebush, and the Inner West. We offer running gait analysis, strength and conditioning programmes, and structured return-to-running progressions. Same-week appointments, HICAPS on-site. Call 02 8322 9022 or book online.
See also: IT Band Syndrome Treatment | Plantar Fasciitis Treatment | Achilles Tendinopathy Treatment | Shin Splints Treatment
Reviewed by the Burwood Physio Clinical Team
BPhty (Hons) | AHPRA Registered Physiotherapists | Member, Australian Physiotherapy Association
Our clinical team has over 20 years of combined experience in musculoskeletal physiotherapy, sports rehabilitation, and pain management. All content is reviewed for clinical accuracy and updated in line with current evidence-based practice guidelines. Meet our team →
