There’s something beautifully simple about running. You lace up your shoes, step out the door, and off you go. No expensive equipment, no gym membership, no complicated rules. Maybe that’s why running has become so popular across Australia, from the coastal paths of Perth to the leafy trails of Melbourne. But here’s the thing that nobody really talks about when they’re posting their Saturday morning run on Instagram: running might look simple, but it’s surprisingly easy to get hurt doing it.
Studies suggest that somewhere between 40 to 50 percent of regular runners will deal with an injury each year. That’s a sobering statistic when you think about it. The good news? Most of these injuries aren’t the result of dramatic accidents or unavoidable bad luck. They’re overuse injuries that develop gradually, and with the right knowledge and approach, many of them can be prevented entirely. Let’s walk through the most common culprits and, more importantly, what you can actually do about them.
Runner’s Knee (Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome)
If you’ve ever felt a dull, achy pain around or behind your kneecap during or after a run, you’ve probably experienced what runners affectionately call “runner’s knee.” The technical term is patellofemoral pain syndrome, but let’s be honest, nobody uses that outside of a doctor’s office. This injury accounts for nearly a quarter of all running injuries, making it the most common complaint among runners of all levels.
The pain typically shows up during activities that put stress on the knee joint, like running downhill, climbing stairs, or even sitting for long periods with your knees bent. What’s actually happening is that your kneecap isn’t tracking properly in its groove, which causes irritation to the cartilage underneath. The culprits are usually weak hip and glute muscles that fail to stabilise your leg properly, poor running form that puts extra stress on your knees, or simply doing too much too soon.
Prevention really comes down to building strength in the right places. Your glutes and quadriceps need to be strong enough to support proper knee alignment throughout your running stride. Single-leg squats, clamshells, and lateral band walks might not be as exciting as hitting the pavement, but they’re absolute gold for keeping your knees happy. The 10% rule applies here too, don’t increase your weekly mileage by more than 10% from one week to the next. Your enthusiasm might be ready for a 20-kilometre week, but your knees might disagree.
Footwear matters more than you might think as well. If your shoes are worn out or don’t provide adequate support for your particular foot type, your knees will be the first to complain. Most running shoes need replacing every 600 to 800 kilometres, even if they still look decent on the outside.
Shin Splints
Shin splints are one of those injuries that sound relatively minor until you actually have them. Then suddenly, every step feels like someone’s jabbing a knife into the front of your lower leg. The medical term is medial tibial stress syndrome, and it involves pain along the inner edge of your shinbone. It’s particularly common among newer runners and those who’ve recently ramped up their training intensity or switched to running on harder surfaces.
The pain usually starts as a dull ache during runs but can progress to a sharp, constant pain if you ignore it. What’s happening is that the muscles, tendons, and bone tissue around your shin are getting overwhelmed by repetitive stress. Your body hasn’t had time to adapt to the demands you’re placing on it, and it’s letting you know in no uncertain terms.
The good news is that shin splints are highly preventable if you’re smart about your training progression. Running is an impact sport, and your bones and connective tissues need time to adapt to that impact. If you’re new to running or coming back from a break, resist the urge to do too much too quickly. A walk-run programme that gradually builds up your running time over several weeks is far less likely to land you on the injured list than trying to run 5 kilometres straight off the bat.
Surface variation helps too. If you’re always pounding concrete footpaths, your shins are taking a beating. Mix in some grass, trails, or softer surfaces when you can. Your calf muscles also play a huge role here. Tight or weak calves can’t absorb shock properly, which means your shins take more of the impact. Regular calf raises, both straight-legged and bent-knee variations, will strengthen the entire lower leg complex. And don’t skip the stretching, a tight calf is a shin splint waiting to happen.
Achilles Tendinopathy
Your Achilles tendon is the thick cord that runs down the back of your ankle, connecting your calf muscles to your heel bone. It’s the largest tendon in your body, and when you’re running, it has to handle forces of up to eight times your body weight with every stride. It’s a workhorse, but even workhorses have their limits.
Achilles tendinopathy usually announces itself as a stiff, achy feeling in the back of your ankle, particularly first thing in the morning or at the start of a run. Sometimes it eases up as you warm up, which can trick you into thinking it’s not a big deal. But here’s the problem, ignoring early warning signs can turn a managable issue into a chronic condition that sidelines you for months. In worst-case scenarios, a weakened Achilles can actually rupture, which is about as fun as it sounds.
Prevention centres on keeping your calves strong and flexible. Eccentric calf exercises, where you slowly lower your heel below the level of a step, are particularly effective at building resilient Achilles tendons. These exercises might feel a bit uncomfortable at first, but they’re proven to both prevent and treat Achilles problems. Do them regularly, not when you’re already hurt.
Proper warm-ups make a real difference here. Your Achilles needs time to get blood flowing and loosen up before you ask it to handle high forces. A few minutes of walking or easy jogging, followed by some dynamic calf stretches, sets you up for success. And pay attention to your training load. Sudden increases in hill running or speed work can overwhelm your Achilles if it hasn’t been prepared properly. Build up gradually, and your Achilles will thank you.
Plantar Fasciitis
That sharp, stabbing pain in your heel when you take your first steps out of bed in the morning? That’s classic plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot, connecting your heel to your toes. When it gets irritated and inflammed, usually from overuse or excessive stress, you end up with one of the most frustrating injuries in running.
The pain is typically worst after periods of rest, which is why those first morning steps are so memorable. It often improves as you move around and the tissue warms up, but it comes roaring back after long runs or periods of standing. Runners with high arches or very flat feet are particularly susceptible, as are those who’ve suddenly increased their mileage or spend a lot of time running on hard surfaces.
Prevention involves keeping the entire foot and lower leg flexible and strong. Rolling your foot over a tennis ball or frozen water bottle can help keep the plantar fascia supple, though do this gently. Calf stretches are important here too, because tight calves put extra strain on the plantar fascia. Both straight-leg and bent-knee calf stretches should be part of your regular routine.
Your shoes play a critical role in plantar fasciitis prevention. Worn-out shoes or ones without adequate arch support force your plantar fascia to work overtime to stabilise your foot. If you have particularly high or low arches, you might benefit from shoes designed for your foot type, or even custom orthotics in more extreme cases. And here’s something many runners overlook, the shoes you wear when you’re not running matter too. Shuffling around the house in flat, unsupported slippers or going barefoot constantly can aggravate your plantar fascia even when you’re not training.
IT Band Syndrome
The iliotibial band, mercifully shortened to IT band, is a thick strip of connective tissue that runs down the outside of your thigh from your hip to your knee. When it gets tight or irritated, you end up with a sharp, burning pain on the outer side of your knee. It’s particularly common in distance runners and tends to show up a few kilometres into a run, getting progressively worse as you continue.
The IT band itself isn’t actually the problem, despite its name being on the condition. The real issue usually lies in weak hip muscles, particularly the glutes, that fail to stabilise your pelvis and leg properly during running. This causes your knee to cave inward slightly with each stride, which irritates the IT band as it rubs over the bony prominence on the outside of your knee. Running on cambered roads or always running in the same direction on a track can make things worse, as can ramping up your mileage too quickly.
Prevention focuses heavily on hip strength. Your glute medius, the muscle on the side of your hip, is absolutely crucial for keeping your leg properly aligned during running. Exercises like side-lying leg lifts, single-leg bridges, and hip hikes might not feel particularly athletic, but they’re incredibly effective at building the stability you need. Single-leg balance work helps too, as it trains your entire leg to maintain proper alignment under load.
Foam rolling your IT band is popular among runners, and while it can provide some temporary relief, it’s not addressing the root cause. You can’t really stretch or lengthen the IT band itself, it’s too tough and fibrous. Instead, focus on strengthening those hip muscles and maintaining good running form. Cross-training with activities like cycling or swimming can also help by building leg strength without the repetitive impact of running.
General Prevention Principles
While each injury has its specific causes and prevention strategies, there are some overarching principles that will dramatically reduce your injury risk across the board. Think of these as the foundation that everything else builds on.
The 10% rule has been mentioned a few times already, but it’s worth emphasising. Increasing your weekly running volume by no more than 10% from one week to the next gives your body time to adapt to new demands. This applies to total distance, the length of your longest run, and the amount of high-intensity work you’re doing. Your cardiovascular system adapts relatively quickly to training, but your bones, tendons, and ligaments need much more time. Your lungs might be ready for that 20-kilometre run, but your shins might have different ideas.
Rest days aren’t a sign of weakness, they’re when your body actually gets stronger. During runs, you’re essentially creating microscopic damage to your muscles and connective tissues. It’s during rest that your body repairs this damage and builds back stronger. Try to have at least one or two complete rest days each week, and don’t be afraid to take an extra day if you’re feeling particularly tired or sore. Missing one day of training is far better than missing six weeks because you pushed through an injury.
Cross-training deserves more credit than it usually gets. Swimming, cycling, strength training, or even yoga all build fitness and strength without the repetitive impact of running. They also work your muscles in different patterns, creating a more balanced, resilient body. We’ve talked to the guys at Applied Motion, a physio clinic in Perth that specialise in sports physio, and they mentioned that many of the runners they see could have avoided injury with a more balanced training approach that included regular strength work.
Learning to listen to your body is perhaps the most important skill of all. There’s a difference between the normal discomfort of hard training and the warning signs of an developing injury. If a pain is sharp, gets progressively worse during a run, or changes your gait, that’s your body asking you to stop. If something hurts in the same spot for more than a few days, it’s time to take it seriously. Early intervention, whether that’s a few days of rest or seeking professional advice, can prevent a minor niggle from becoming a major problem.
If pain persists despite rest and your own management efforts, consulting a physiotherapist can help identify underlying biomechanical issues or weaknesses that might be setting you up for injury. They can assess your running gait, identify muscle imbalances, and provide targeted exercises to address your specific needs. Sometimes what you think is one problem is actually a symptom of something else entirely, and having an expert eye can make all the difference.
Keep Running, Stay Healthy
Running should be sustainable. Not in the environmental sense, though that’s certainly a bonus, but in the sense that you should be able to keep doing it for years without constantly battling injuries. The runners who last aren’t necessarily the ones with the most natural talent or the highest pain tolerance. They’re the ones who train smart, respect their body’s limits, and address small problems before they become big ones.
Prevention might not be as exciting as smashing a new personal best or signing up for your first marathon, but it’s what allows you to keep chasing those goals over the long term. Build strength, progress gradually, listen to your body, and don’t be afraid to take time off when you need it. Your future running self will thank you for the patience you show today. The best training plan is the one that keeps you healthy and running, not the one that looks impressive on paper but leaves you injured and frustrated.
So get out there and run. But do it wisely, because the goal isn’t finishing one race, it’s being able to run for life.
