Marathon Injuries

We are now less than 2 months out from the London Marathon and while some people are already training for it there are some people who are yet to start their program. 

Completing a full marathon (42km or 26.2 miles) is an exceptionally challenging test and unfortunately many people get injured and don’t make the start line. Marathon injuries are not often attributable to one cause, they are usually multifactorial. 

Common Injury Sites: 

1. Knee pain

2. Stress fractures 

3. Foot and ankle pain 

4. Shin pain 

5. Achilles pain 

6. Low back pain 

Knee Pain

1. ITB syndrome – pain on the outside of the knee

2. Patellofemoral pain syndrome “Runner’s Knee”- pain generally at the front of the knee and either underneath or behind the kneecap (patella), but it can be felt throughout the knee. 

Foot and Ankle Pain

1. Plantar Fascia pain / plantar fasciopathy – Pain in the heel or arch of the foot 

2. Sprained ankles – most commonly the outside of the ankle (roughly 90%).

Bone Stress Injuries

Our next blog will be looking at bone stress injuries in more detail. Bone stress injuries can be a stress reaction in the bone which if not dealt with can develop into a stress fracture and further down the line a fracture. 

Common sites in runners: 

1. Feet: Base 2nd / 5th metatarsal, Navicular, Talus, Calcaneus, Cuboid, Big toe

2. Leg: Femoral shaft, Femoral neck

• Annual BSI incidence of 4.9 – 21% in elite track and field athletes

• High school runners 20% annually

• Division 1 track and field athletes 32% reported having at least one or more bone stress fractures

Achilles Pain

Achilles tendinopathy / Paratenonitis – pain in the achilles tendon. Pain can occur where the achilles attaches into the heel bone, in the middle of the achilles or high up where the calf meets the achilles

Shin pain or ‘Shin Splints’

Shin splints is a generic term given to pain in the front of the shin. There is generally two main types;

1. Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome – pain on the inside of the shin 

2. Anterior shin pain – pain in the muscles in the front of the shin

What can I do to prevent injury? 

• Gradually increase your load over the next 12 weeks

• Follow a program or get advice from a coach or physiotherapist 

• Keep on top of your strength training 

• Get on top of niggles early 

• If you know you have areas you need to improve on such as strength – start early and incorporate it into your program 

• Good footwear 

• Don’t overdo the stretching 

• Gait analysis

• Ensure you recover well – injuries often come from not overtraining but under recovering – Healthy diet, stay hydrated, consume enough calories and get enough sleep. 

If you have any questions on whether physio is the best option for you, or you have any questions about MVMNT in general, feel free to contact via email.

- Jay Towolawi, Specialist Sports Physiotherapist and MVMNT Founder.