Injury Prevention for First-Time Marathoners

When you’re training for your first marathon, you want to maintain a balance. On the one hand, you want to get stronger by running longer distances; on the other hand, you want to stay healthy and avoid injury.

Who Gets Injured, and Why

Injuries are all too common among marathoners, especially those training to tackle 26.2 for the first time. A Hospital for Special Surgery study in 2017 involving 720 first-time marathoners found that half experienced an injury that interfered with their training in some capacity. About 10% experienced major injuries that prevented them from completing their training or the race. Learn more about this study here.

Many injuries result from overuse, which happens when the increased demands on the bones and connective tissues during training outweigh the body’s ability adapt and grow stronger.

In a more dynamic sense, the fatigue experienced by those new to marathon training can cause changes in gait patterns, with the resulting changes in mechanical load increasing the risk of injury.

Other factors that contribute to overuse injuries include:

• Personal factors: sex, age, genetics, and static biomechanics
• Training volume: Some studies have found mileage greater than 40 miles per week to be a risk factor for overuse injuries
• Health and lifestyle: nutrition, sleep, smoking habits, co-morbidities, BMI, and bone density
• History of prior overuse injury

Steps You Can Take to Avoid Injury

Injury during marathon training isn’t inevitable! Here are some things you can do to reduce your risk of injury while still building the strength and endurance you need to complete 26.2 miles:

• Increase your mileage gradually, following a training plan and checking in with your coach regularly
• Address strength deficits that may contribute to fatigue-induced changes in biomechanics, paying particular attention to hip, butt, and core strength
• Mix in softer surfaces (such as a bridle path) and cross-training days to give your body a break
• Ensure that you’re eating and drinking enough to support your training and recover adequately between workouts
• Avoid continuing to train in shoes that have seen more than 300 miles
• Always listen to your body!

For more TCS New York City Marathon training resources and guides, click here.