i so understand running yet i could not avoid those pitfalls on the road

As we enter summer, the weather across the country is getting hotter, and high temperatures are becoming more common. However, when marathons meet high temperatures, it can easily lead to a series of accidents and injuries.

In the recent Shanghai Half Marathon, affected by the hot and humid weather, more than 20 runners were sent to the hospital for treatment. The star-studded London Marathon also encountered high temperatures, making it the hottest London Marathon in history, with dozens of participants collapsing from exhaustion and being evacuated from the course by volunteers and stretchers.

Speaking of large-scale marathon injuries, the 2016 Qingyuan Marathon is the most memorable. According to incomplete statistics from the local health bureau, nearly 20,000 people participated in the Qingyuan Marathon, with a total of 12,208 people receiving treatment. Among them, 9,838 had muscle cramps, 1,743 had sprains, 194 had abrasions, 20 fainted, 107 had abdominal pain, and 306 experienced exhaustion and other issues. Ambulances were dispatched 23 times, with 17 people sent to the hospital, 5 in critical condition, 3 admitted to the ICU, and 2 to the cardiology department.

Injuries in marathon races have become an issue that many runners and event organizers cannot ignore. If you suffer a minor injury, you can rest and recuperate, but if the situation is serious, it may lead to damage to your body parts and even affect your physical and mental health. Today, let's learn about the most common injuries in marathon races and how to deal with them.

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As the number of events increases, injury cases have also surged.

In recent years, more and more people have become enthusiastic about running marathons, and the enthusiasm of the participants has made marathon events extremely popular. In 2017, there were 1,102 marathon events of various scales in China, compared to only 22 in 2011, a 50-fold increase in seven years.

Similarly, in 2017, the number of participants in marathon events exceeded 4.98 million, a 77.9% increase from 2.8 million in 2016. Among them, the full marathon had the highest number of participants, with over 2.35 million participants in various categories, followed by the half marathon, with over 1.34 million participants in various categories.

However, with the expansion of marathon events and the sharp increase in the number of races, running injuries have become an issue that runners cannot ignore. Knees, ankles, toes, and feet are all areas that are very prone to injuries.

According to relevant data reports, more than one-third of runners have experienced knee injuries, about one-fifth have had foot or waist injuries, about one-seventh have had ankle injuries or plantar fasciitis, and only 15.7% of runners have had no injuries.

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What are the common injuries for marathon runners?

1. Daily routine of marathon runners: collecting medals series

Exercise-induced fatigue—muscle soreness, muscle swelling, etc.

Foot injuries—ankle soreness, bleeding from toe blisters, toenail loss, blisters, etc.

Knee pain—patellar soreness, knee wear, meniscus injuries, etc.

@BenBen3rdBandit: In December last year, I twisted my left knee and didn't pay much attention to it, which led to a disaster. The more I ran, the more my knee hurt. I gritted my teeth and completed my daily 12KM, but bending my left leg was extremely painful. After a month of rest, I thought it was fine, but the first recovery run triggered the knee injury again. Although I was very careful with the pace, it was snowing that day, and I felt like crying. I was unwilling to give up, and after three months of active recovery, I finally came back!

@GuKongLin: A month before the 2016 Guangzhou Marathon, I had pain on the outside of my right knee. During the race, at the 18-19 kilometer mark, my legs couldn't hold up due to the injury. After some intense stretching, I combined walking and running to complete the 34 kilometers, but I could only walk slowly to finish. The journey home felt endless.

@WalkingInTheRain666013: During the marathon, my right toe got bruised, and the toenail remained black for half a year after the race. I also got a big blister on the sole of my foot. I got used to it every time. Last week, I got another blister on my right sole during a road run, but it wasn't a big problem. A couple of days of rest and it was fine.

@DeepSeaStar59498279: The most unforgettable was when my heel bled, and my socks and new shoes were completely worn out. It wasn't a major injury, but it hurt at first. Later, I saw a 60-year-old man running barefoot, and I decided not to be outdone, so I took off my socks and continued. When I got home, I found that the shoes could never be cleaned again.

@StayTrueToYourself: I started running to lose weight when I weighed 210 pounds. During the 2017 Lanzhou Marathon, at the 16-kilometer mark, I had pain on the outside of my left knee. I hobbled to the finish line, and my left leg couldn't touch the ground anymore. I couldn't get off the train, and I had to inch my way home.

@GentleRainNoDust: After a year of running, the main issue was occasional knee and foot pain! The most serious was at the end of last year when my right foot started to hurt slightly. I didn't pay attention and kept running, which led to not being able to put my heel on the ground. After resting for a whole winter, I finally recovered. The lesson: pay attention to any pain and rest and recover in time!

2. Those who know their limits know how to love themselves the most

Exercise-induced abdominal pain—side stitches, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, etc.

Muscle cramps—calf muscle cramps, thigh muscle cramps, etc.

Muscle strains—hamstring strains, calf muscle strains, etc.

@LittleGreenOnionMixedWithTofu: When I first started running, I injured my ankle, and it took almost two months to fully recover. Also, during my first offline marathon, I had leg cramps, which was unforgettable. I never had cramps during my usual runs, so I don't know if it was because I didn't warm up that day. But I still finished the race.

@591_SharingSunshine: The most unforgettable marathon experience was in 2016 when I ran 27.8 kilometers, my longest distance. The hot weather almost made me faint. Thinking about it now still scares me. Exercise is fun, but it should be done within one's limits, and self-protection is essential.

@Kinnel: During an offline marathon, my foot was already injured, and halfway through, I found a huge blister. After popping it myself, I still persisted. In the end, I had a thick callus on my sole. Looking back, I realize I was too careless. Safety is the foundation of exercise, and I hope all runners can exercise safely and happily!

@TranquilityAndFar-reaching-Jia: After graduating from college, I started running again after many years. I used to run more than 12 kilometers every day in less than an hour, but then I started having foot pain. I didn't know what was wrong and kept running, which made it worse. I ended up with severe plantar fasciitis! Fortunately, I later studied relevant knowledge, patiently waited, and actively recovered, which took two years. So, everyone must pay attention to scientific running, understand the pain signals from your body, and take preventive measures and active recovery!

@MingYuanA: I was passionate about running when I got iliotibial band syndrome. Going down the stairs was so painful that I wanted to cry and laugh. On weekends, I would run with friends, but halfway through, the unbearable pain forced me to take a car back. The next day, I went alone to challenge the unfinished plan, only to return disappointed again. Continuous injuries take a huge toll on the psyche. Reasonable training and rest are essential for long-term progress.

@WaitingForTheWindToCome: Injuries are common for me. I've had iliotibial band syndrome twice in the past two years, once a year. Plantar fasciitis tormented me when I first started running, but fortunately, I recovered! I also had a medial collateral ligament strain on my right leg, which took almost half a year of slow running to heal. Who said running is easy? There's a lot to learn. Come and learn to run with Codoon!

3. No one knows which will come first, an accident or tomorrow

Fainting—heatstroke, dehydration, fainting, collapsing, etc.

Sudden death—cardiac sudden death, sudden death due to rapid heart rate, etc.

Sudden death in marathons is a highly sensitive topic both in the running community and in society. In 2017 alone, there were six reported sudden death incidents.

On February 12, 2017, at the 2017 Hong Kong Marathon, a 52-year-old female participant in the 10-kilometer run collapsed and fell unconscious near the finish line. She was sent to the hospital but could not be saved after 30 hours of rescue efforts.

On May 29, 2017, at the Yinchuan International Marathon, a runner named Wang collapsed 2.5 kilometers from the half-marathon finish line. Despite immediate on-site emergency treatment and rapid transportation to the hospital, he died on the morning of May 30.

On June 10, 2017, at the Beijing Lingshan 100 International Mountain Trail Challenge, a male participant died suddenly.

On September 7, 2017, a man in his 40s collapsed on the 6-kilometer track in Chaoyang Park and died despite rescue efforts.

On November 5, 2017, at the Xinxiang International Marathon, a participant collapsed at the 2-kilometer mark and, despite all-out rescue efforts, unfortunately passed away.

On November 19, 2017, at the Chongqing International Half Marathon, a 33-year-old male runner suddenly collapsed at the 19-kilometer mark, with cardiac arrest and stopped breathing. He died despite rescue efforts.

Clinically, most sudden deaths during exercise are due to cardiac reasons.The causes of sudden death during exercise are usually twofold: one is that the athlete has underlying cardiovascular disease; the other is that they participated in excessive exercise, leading to myocardial ischemia.

Sudden death during exercise is generally defined as the unexpected death of an athlete or person engaged in physical exercise during or within 24 hours after exercise. The emphasis is on the occurrence of sudden death during or after exercise, with the time from onset to death being only a few seconds or minutes, which is the most important characteristic of sudden death during exercise.

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How should you deal with these injuries?

Abdominal pain

Sometimes, abdominal pain may suddenly occur during a race. The general cause is insufficient warm-up, combined with cold weather, leading to the inhalation of a large amount of cold air at the start, or starting too fast, causing side stitches.

If abdominal pain occurs during a race, mild cases can be relieved by pressing the painful area with your thumb, slowing down, and adjusting your breathing. If the pain is severe, you should withdraw from the race and seek treatment at a medical station.

Cramps

If you experience calf cramps during a race, you should immediately slow down and gradually stop, moving to the side of the road (not in the center to avoid obstructing other participants). Straighten your knee joint, flex your toes, and massage the calf muscle. The massage method is to knead the center of the calf muscle (the Chengshan point) with your thumb to relieve the cramp. Do not use excessive force during the massage. If it cannot be relieved, seek treatment at a medical station.

How can you minimize the risk of cramps? First, replenish water and electrolytes in time during the race to maintain electrolyte balance in the body. Second, you can wear compression leg sleeves during the race, which can promote blood return, reduce lactic acid buildup, and prevent muscle damage and cramps.

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Knee pain

One cause of knee pain is that the race is mainly on city roads, which are hard surfaces, causing significant impact on the knees. The long duration and high intensity of running can easily lead to knee injuries and pain.

Additionally, race equipment is very important. For example, running shoes should be chosen based on factors such as weight and foot type. Studies have shown that people who wear professional running shoes have 15% to 25% fewer sports injuries than those who don't.

Codoon Smart Running Shoes 21kNC01, designed for medium and long-distance runners, are more suitable for Asian foot types and are equipped with smart chips to make every step precise.

Another reason for knee pain is weak muscle strength or abnormal running patterns, causing tightness in the iliotibial band on the outside of the thigh, which, if not relaxed for a long time, can lead to knee pain. If knee pain occurs during a marathon, it is best not to continue running. If you must run, run slowly, land lightly, and take smaller steps.

Muscle strains

Muscle strains often occur in the hamstrings, as well as the adductor muscles, back muscles, rectus abdominis, calf muscles, and upper arm muscles. The main reasons are: 1. Insufficient warm-up; 2. Insufficient daily training, exceeding the muscle's capacity; 3. Over-exercise; 4. Improper stretching or stretching beyond one's capacity, causing excessive muscle contraction or stretching.

If muscle strains occur during a race, you should immediately protect the injured area, withdraw from the race, and seek treatment at a medical station.

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How can runners minimize the impact of injuries?

The peak marathon seasons are from March to June in the first half of the year and from September to November in the second half. While marathons are fun, chasing races and frequent participation can be problematic. Back-to-back races can cause severe fatigue, affecting both the heart and muscles and joints.

Generally, it is recommended that amateur runners participate in no more than two full marathons per year and no more than four half marathons per year. After a full marathon, you should rest for at least three months before participating in another marathon. After a half marathon, you should rest for at least one month before participating in another marathon.

If you don't rest enough and don't have enough recovery time, the acute reversible micro-damage caused by exercise to the heart will accumulate, eventually leading to myocardial fibrosis, arrhythmia, and other issues. This is similar to how intense running can cause micro-damage to the knees, which is usually repairable, but repeated over-exercise can lead to insufficient repair and fatigue accumulation, causing wear and tear.

Without sufficient running volume and training, running a marathon can put a lot of pressure on the cardiovascular system and musculoskeletal system. Cramps, hitting the wall, and exhaustion are common issues for undertrained marathon runners.

For most runners, the primary goal of running and participating in marathons is to improve health. When you decide to participate in a marathon, don't forget your original intention of running. Personal safety is the most important.

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