Running Injuries: The Most Common Ones, How to Prevent and React

TL;DR — Most running injuries are overuse injuries: too much volume, too fast, too often. The most common ones affect the knee (patellofemoral pain, IT band syndrome), the shin (shin splints, stress fracture), the Achilles tendon and the heel/arch (plantar fasciitis). Prevention comes down to a few principles: progression (+10 %/week), strength work, suitable shoes, recovery, and listening to pain instead of pushing through it.

This article is informational and not a substitute for medical advice: if pain persists, see a healthcare professional.

Running is broadly good for your health, but it's repetitive: every stride sends an impact wave through your body. When volume rises too fast or imbalances set in, pain shows up. The good news is that the vast majority of these injuries are preventable — and they speak a language you can learn to read.

This BPMoov guide reviews the most common running injuries, their signs and causes, then the prevention principles that apply to all of them.

Runner's knee (patellofemoral pain syndrome)

This is one of the most common complaints among runners.

Signs: a dull ache around or behind the kneecap, worse on downhills, on stairs, or after sitting for a long time with the knee bent.
Common causes: ramping up volume too quickly, weakness in the hip and thigh muscles, chain imbalances.
Prevention: strengthen quads, glutes and hips, increase volume gradually, and avoid excessive steep downhills when you're starting out.

IT band syndrome (iliotibial band)

Signs: pain on the outer side of the knee, sometimes running up the thigh, often appearing after a certain running time and worsening on downhills.
Common causes: repeated rubbing of the iliotibial band on the outside of the knee, often linked to excessive volume, weak glutes or cambered surfaces.
Prevention: strengthen the glutes and hip stabilizers, progress gradually, and manage downhill volume.

Shin splints

Signs: a diffuse pain along the inner edge of the shin, especially at the start and end of a session in beginners.
Common causes: repeated impact on hard surfaces, ramping up load too fast, worn or unsuitable shoes.
Prevention: strict progression, vary your surfaces, watch the state of your shoes, and strengthen calves and feet.

Achilles tendinopathy

Signs: pain and stiffness in the Achilles tendon (above the heel), typically marked in the morning or when cold, then easing as you warm up.
Common causes: a sharp increase in intensity (hills, intervals), stiff or weak calves, a sudden change of shoes or drop.
Prevention: progress gently on intensity, strengthen the calves (heel raises), and change shoes gradually.

Plantar fasciitis

Signs: pain under the heel or arch of the foot, classically sharp on the first steps in the morning, then easing as you warm up.
Common causes: overload, stiff or weak feet and calves, unsuitable shoes.
Prevention: stretch and strengthen the foot and calf, manage your training load, and choose shoes suited to your stride.

Stress fracture

More serious, it deserves particular vigilance.

Signs: a localized, precise pain on a bone (often the foot or shin), worsening with effort and persisting even at rest.
Common causes: repeated overload without enough recovery, ramping up volume too fast, sometimes nutritional or hormonal factors.
Reaction: a precise bone pain that persists warrants stopping running and seeing a healthcare professional promptly — running on it can worsen the injury.

Prevention principles that apply to everything

Most of the injuries above share the same causes, and therefore the same safeguards:

Progression above all. The +10 % per week rule on volume remains the simplest reference to avoid overload. It's also true when you discover interval training or hills.
Strength work. A stronger body (hips, glutes, quads, calves, feet) absorbs impact better and corrects imbalances.
Suitable shoes. They cushion and support your stride; replace them before they're dead (see our guide to choosing running shoes).
Recovery. Sleep, rest days and easy runs are part of training. Running most of your volume in base endurance (zone 2) reduces overall load.
Listen to pain. Mild discomfort that fades as you warm up is often benign; pain that worsens, alters your stride, or persists at rest is a warning sign.

Tip: keep a mini-log of your aches (where, when, intensity). Spotting a pattern early beats waiting for it to get worse.

When to see a healthcare professional

Stay cautious: this article offers no prescription. See a healthcare professional in particular if:

The pain persists for several days despite relative rest.
It is sharp, localized on a bone, or present at rest and at night.
It alters your stride or makes you limp.
There is swelling, instability or loss of mobility.

Early diagnosis often keeps a benign discomfort from becoming a long-term injury. A few days of rest today beats several weeks of forced layoff tomorrow.

Taking care of your body also means setting realistic, progressive goals. When you're ready to aim for your next race, BPMoov gathers road and trail race registrations across France and Europe — free, iOS and Android. → Download BPMoov.

FAQ — Running injuries

What are the most common running injuries?

The most common are overuse injuries: runner's knee (patellofemoral pain), IT band syndrome (iliotibial band), shin splints, Achilles tendinopathy and plantar fasciitis. Rarer but more serious, stress fractures mainly affect the foot and shin. They often share the same causes: too much volume, too fast.

How do you avoid getting injured while running?

The key principle is progression: don't increase your volume by more than about 10 % per week. Add strength work (hips, glutes, calves, feet), wear suitable shoes replaced in time, prioritize recovery, and run most of your volume at an easy pace. Finally, listen to pain rather than pushing through it.

Can you keep running with pain?

It depends on the pain. Mild discomfort that fades as you warm up and doesn't worsen is often benign. However, pain that increases during the run, alters your stride, persists at rest, or is precisely localized on a bone should make you stop. When in doubt or if it persists, see a healthcare professional.

What is runner's knee?

"Runner's knee" most often refers to patellofemoral pain syndrome: a dull ache around or behind the kneecap, worse on downhills, on stairs, or after sitting for a long time. It's often linked to ramping up load too quickly and to weakness in the hip and thigh muscles. Strength work and progression help prevent it.

How long should you rest after a running injury?

It depends entirely on the type and severity of the injury, and only a healthcare professional can determine it. A simple irritation may need a few days of relative rest, while a stress fracture requires several weeks off running. Coming back too soon is one of the main causes of relapse: patience is part of the treatment.

When should you see someone about running pain?

See a healthcare professional if the pain persists for several days despite rest, if it's sharp and localized on a bone, present at rest or at night, if it alters your stride, or comes with swelling, instability or loss of mobility. Early diagnosis often keeps a benign discomfort from becoming a long-term injury.