Run at least this many miles a week during marathon training to reduce injury risk, study says – Runner’s World (UK)

Marathon training plans are designed to increase mileage gradually, getting your body (and mind) ready to take on 26.2 miles. But does running more miles lower your risk of post-race injury?

One retrospective study, published in the International Journal of Physical Therapy examined just this. 662 marathon finishers were asked to complete a web-based questionnaire, to check for running injuries. The injuries measured had to be severe enough to cause a reduction in distance, speed, duration or frequency of running for at least two weeks. Runners were also asked to report on their average weekly volume of running before the marathon, categorised into less than 30km/week, 30 to 60 km/week and above 60 km/week.

Out of the 662 respondents, 68 runners sustained an injury from the marathon. Researchers concluded that the risk of injury was higher for runners who had an average weekly training volume of below 30 km/week, compared to runners with an average weekly training volume of 30-60 km/week. There were no significant differences reported between runners running 30-60 km/week and those exceeding 60 km/week.

So, runners were advised to run a minimum of 30 km or 18 miles a week before a marathon to reduce their risk of running-related injury post-race.