Musculoskeletal Injuries In Charity Team Marathoners Training For The Boston Marathon

Abstract

PURPOSE: There is a gap in the sports medicine literature about injury types and rates in runners training for a marathon with a charity team. Our objectives were to: 1. Determine the types of injuries among members of a charity marathon team, and 2. Estimate the rates of injuries in this group. METHODS: This is a survey study with a secondary medical record review of the 2019 Stepping Strong charity marathon team at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA (140 runners). Measures were: 1. Self-report baseline questionnaire, and 2. Symptom and function inventory questionnaires completed during the training cycle and after the Boston Marathon. We generated descriptive statistics and determined injury types and rates from these measures. RESULTS: Participants had a mean of 10.2 (SD 8.8) years of running experience, and most commonly averaged 10 to 19.9 miles per week (41.8%). The mean number of previous marathons trained for and completed was 5 (SD 10.3), and 94.9% raised $7,500.00 or more. 26.3% of runners reported a medical-provider diagnosed injury, 43.8% reported an injury not diagnosed by a medical provider lasting more than 1 week, 40% reported pain due to running lasting more than 1 week, and 53.8% reported pain due to running of any duration. Injury locations are displayed in Figure 1. More than 50% of runners reported pain that interfered with their ability to run their usual distance at their usual pace, and approximately 25% of runners reported pain that interfered with their ability to walk. 76% of respondents to the post-race questionnaire reported they developed pain at some point during the marathon training cycle, and 88% of respondents indicated they would run a marathon again. CONCLUSIONS: Less stringent injury definitions resulted in greater percentages of participants reporting injuries. The knee, foot and hip were common injury sites. Though most participants developed pain during the marathon training cycle, almost all indicated they would run a marathon again.