Introduction: the injured runner series

This is the first post in what will be a multi-part series diving deep into running-related injuries. Before we get into the weeds, I want to take a moment to explain why this series exists — and why it matters to you.

On a personal level, running injuries are something I live and breathe. I’m a runner myself, a running coach, and a physical therapist who regularly works with injured runners in the clinic. That combination gives me a somewhat unique perspective: I see these injuries from every angle — as someone who has felt the frustration of being sidelined, as a coach trying to keep athletes healthy and progressing, and as a clinician responsible for getting people back on the road or trail as quickly and safely as possible. That intersection of experience is what motivated me to put this series together.

If you’re a coach, a physical therapist, or a runner, running injuries are almost certainly familiar to you — and for good reason. Running is growing. Running and jogging surpassed 50 million participants in the U.S. in 2024 for the first time since 2020, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s 2025 Topline Participation Report (1). RunSignup’s 2024 RaceTrends Report found that race participation grew by an average of 8% over the last year (2). And Fleet Feet estimates that approximately 20 million people have started running since 2020, with another 7 million returning to the sport after a break (3). Whether your athletes or patients are seasoned competitors or brand-new runners, they are running — and at some point, many of them will get hurt.

Given how embedded running has become in the modern fitness landscape, and given that it shows no signs of slowing down, my goal with this series is to give coaches, clinicians, and athletes a practical, research-informed framework for understanding, identifying, and managing running-related injuries. Here’s how it’s structured:

• Part I: Common RRI 

• Part II: Causes of RRI 

  • A: Training load and ACWR

  • B: Past injuries 

  • C. Recoverability 

  • D. Other causes 

• Part III: Can I keep running or low vs high risk injuries 

• Part IV: Evaluating RRI 

• Part V: Framework for rehabilitation 

  • A: Mobility vs stability 

  • B. Restoring tissue capacity 

  • C. Return to running 

My goal is to heavily draw on the research, but also provide my own insights where I think it will be valuable. I will make it clear when I am pulling from research and when I am giving you my opinion. Once this series concludes, I plan to do a deeper dive into each individual injury — covering keys to getting an accurate diagnosis and a practical treatment framework for each one.

Let’s get into it.