REF-928 · Videbæk et al., 2015 · Sports Medicine, Vol. · Paper · PubMed

Incidence of Running-Related Injuries Per 1000 h of running in Different Types of Runners: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

A-fairly strong evidenceMeasured on a mixed groupWritten before October 2026, being re-checked

The review searched PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, PEDro and Web of Science for prospective cohort studies and randomised controlled trials reporting running-related injuries per 1000 h of running in novice runners, recreational runners, ultra-marathon runners and track and field athletes. After screening 815 abstracts, 13 original articles were included.

Injuries per 1000 h ranged from 2.5 in long-distance track and field athletes to 33.0 in a study of novice runners. The weighted incidence was 17.8 in novice runners and 7.7 in recreational runners. The authors conclude that novice runners seem to face a significantly greater risk of injury per 1000 h of running than recreational runners.

Participants

13 original articles (from 815 screened abstracts) covering novice runners, recreational runners, ultra-marathon runners and track and field athletes. The total number of runners is not given in the abstract.

Protocol

Databases: PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, PEDro, Web of Science.
Two blinded reviewers screened titles, abstracts and full texts for prospective cohort studies and randomised controlled trials reporting injury incidence in the four types of runner.
Risk of bias assessed with an adapted scale; meta-analyses of incidence per 1000 h of running.

Key Results

Novice runners: weighted injury incidence 17.8 per 1000 h of running (95% CI 16.7-19.1).
Recreational runners: 7.7 per 1000 h (95% CI 6.9-8.7).
Range across studies: from 2.5 (a study of long-distance track and field athletes) to 33.0 (a study of novice runners).

Practical Application

Pooling 13 studies, novice runners were injured 17.8 times per 1000 h of running (95% CI 16.7-19.1) against 7.7 per 1000 h in recreational runners (95% CI 6.9-8.7). To "is a beginner more likely to get hurt?": per hour of running, clearly more than an established recreational runner in this meta-analysis.
Inference, not tested here: the review counts injuries, it does not explain them; tissue that has not yet adapted to running is one reading, and it is why the base treats a fit cyclist who starts running as a novice for load.
Injury and runner definitions differed between the included studies, so the two numbers are best read as a contrast, not as a precise personal risk.
Not from this paper; the base's own practice: the beginner build that follows from this — few short runs, frequency before duration — is in SYNTH-75.

Limitations

Heterogeneity in the definition of injury, the definition of type of runner and outcome measures (the authors' own limitation).
Pooled estimates are reported for novice and recreational runners only; the ultra-marathon and track figures come from single studies.
13 articles; the total sample is not given in the abstract.
Incidence per hour does not account for running speed or surface.
Written from the abstract and record metadata only (full text not read).
How this entry was checked and changed
Why this level

systematic review with meta-analysis, 13 original articles, with heterogeneity in injury definitions, runner definitions and outcome measures that the authors name as a limitation