Running Marathons in High School: A 5-Year Review of Injury in a Structured Training Program

Abstract

The aim in this study was to quantify the number, nature, and severity of injuries sustained by male and female high school students who took part in a running training program that culminated in the completion of a half or full marathon. This study is a retrospective clinical audit. Injury reports from high school students (grades 9-12) who participated in a half or full marathon 30-week progressive training program comprising four training days per week (three running days and one cross-training day) were reviewed. The number of runners completing a marathon, together with the number, nature, severity of injuries, and treatment types, as reported to the program physiotherapist, were the main outcome measures. Program completion was 96% (n = 448/469). Of all participants, 186 (39.6%) were injured, with 14 withdrawing from the program due to injury. For those who completed a marathon, 172 (38%) reported 205 musculoskeletal injuries (age of injured runners: 16.3 ± 1.1 years; 88 girls (51.2%) and 84 boys (48.8%)). More than half (n = 113, 55.1%) of the reported injuries were soft tissue injuries. Most injuries were localized to the lower leg (n = 88, 42.9%) and were of a minor nature (n = 181, 90%), requiring only 1-2 treatments. There was a low number of relatively minor injuries for high school participants taking part in a graduated and supervised marathon training program. The injury definition was conservative (i.e., any attendance to physiotherapist) and the relative severity of injuries was minor (i.e., requiring 1-2 treatment sessions). Overall, these results do not support a need to restrict high school students from taking part in marathon running, though continued emphasis on graduated program development and close supervision of young participants is recommended.