How much running is too much?
Are you about to start training? Running lots and want to run more?
Don’t let injuries stop you. Even with the advancement in shoe technology and wearable devices, the risk of running related injuries remains high. Injury is the main reason people cite when they stop a running program.
Understanding injury risk is the best way to avoid them while trying to increase your running! I get asked all the time about running distances and volumes and how to train up safely.
As with any sport, “too much, too soon” is a key factor in injury risk, and few runners report any symptoms before an injury actually occurs.
So how do we know what “too much” is? And when is it “too soon”?
A new study on 5,200 runners was published in June 2025 by Frandsen et all (1) to try to answer this question. They had 18. Months of GPS running data, with over half a million runs!
Their conclusion was an increase in the rate of running-related overuse injury when the distance of a single running session exceeded 10% of the longest run undertaken in the last 30 days.
So, it’s not weekly milage, it’s the sudden spikes (big jump un distances within a single run)
Let me break it down:
- If you suddenly run 10–30% farther than your longest run in the past month, your injury risk jumps by about 60%.
- A 30–100% increase raises the risk even more.
- Doubling your distance in one run more than doubles your risk of injury.
That’s a huge deal for anyone training for a race or getting back into running.
By the time people come and see me we are already dealing with an injury, so lets avioid that all together!
What should you do:
Build gradually – Focus not only on your weekly total but on your longest individual runs. Don’t jump from a 5K to a 10K in one session.
Keep a log – Whether it’s a notebook or a running app, track your distances over the past 30 days. Before a big run, check how it compares to your recent average.
Watch the red flags – Muscle soreness is normal. Sharp pain, swelling, or pain that lingers for days isn’t.
Take rest seriously – Rest days and cross-training are vital to allow your tissues to adapt.
Final thoughts:
Running is awesome, an excellent work out for the body and a great reset for the mind. Unfortunately injuries are all too real and prevalent and can set you back weeks or months. Injuries often happen with single big jumps in distances, not just from too much training over time. Lets take it one step at a time, the tortoise wins the race if we can remain injury free!
Need help building a safe running plan or recovering from an injury? Book a session with one of our physiotherapists today—we’re here to help you keep moving pain-free.
(1) Frandsen, J. S. B., Sørensen, H., Moseid, C. H., Nielsen, R. Ø., & Malisoux, L. (2024). How much running is too much? Identifying high-risk running sessions in a 5,200-person cohort study. British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1136/
This blog post was written by physiotherapist Tim Schmidt. To book an appointment with Tim or one of our other experienced therapists, call 250-314-0788 or book online HERE.