eval set · question 14 of 22 · graded by hand
How many running-related injuries occur per 1000 hours of running?
Novice runners: 17.8 injuries per 1000 hours of running vs 7.7 per 1000 hours for recreational runners. 1
Trail runners had an annual injury incidence of 2.79 per 1000 running-hours. 2
Competitive adolescent distance runners had an injury rate of 6.3 per 1,000 participation hours. 3
What we can't tell you
- No single universal rate exists; incidence varies substantially by population (novice vs experienced, trail vs track, adolescent vs adult) and by study definitions.
- No overall pooled estimate across all runner types is provided in the evidence.
Sources
Novice runners face a significantly greater risk of running-related injury per 1000 hours of running than recreational runners
pop. Novice runners and recreational runners · direction Negative for novice runners (higher injury risk: 17.8 per 1000h vs 7.7 per 1000h in recreational runners) · design Systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies and RCTs · strong
Incidence of Running-Related Injuries Per 1000 h of running in Different Types of Runners: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2015) · doi 10.1007/s40279-015-0333-8
Trail runners have an annual injury incidence of 2.79 per 1000 running-hours, with lower limb injuries predominating in both sexes and no significant sex differences, while chronic conditions are reported in 14% of runners.
pop. Trail runners competing in a 2022 forest marathon in South Africa across 10 km, 20 km, 30 km, and 50 km distances · direction positive association between injury risk and longer race distances and >3 weekly training sessions · design cross-sectional · weak
Pre-existing injuries and illnesses in trail running: sex-based epidemiological findings from a 2022 forest marathon. (2026) · doi 10.1080/00913847.2026.2680966
Running-related injury (RRI) is common in competitive adolescent distance runners, with an incidence proportion of 68% and incidence rate of 6.3 per 1,000 participation hours, primarily affecting the knee, foot/toes, and lower leg due to overuse.
pop. Competitive adolescent distance runners aged 13–18 years in England (n=113) · direction High injury incidence in adolescent distance runners · design Cross-sectional · weak
Injuries and Training Practices in Competitive Adolescent Distance Runners: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study (2021) · doi 10.3389/fspor.2021.664632