– the result of poor judgement, overenthusiasm or simple stupidity. So arm yourself in advance: here are the 10 most common routes to injury – and, more importantly, how to avoid them.1. Wearing new shoes on race dayThis is tempting, because new running shoes

-ray or scan.Self-treatmentIf you avoid pressure you will ease the pain, so bigger shoes, soft padding, or avoiding heel backs by using sandals or running without shoes can help. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory tablets and ice are the other staple treatments

bed is a drastic but definitive solution.Can you run through it? You may be able to run if you wear shoes with plenty of toe space to prevent pressure and pain. You should definitely avoid racing until the condition has been cleared up. Without

and front of the thigh bone respectively, and their size and position affects the angles the legs move at, and particularly the way that the patella (kneecap) moves. Your anatomy and the patterns of your muscle use determine many of the injuries you

who broke his hip – was able to run again. There's a cure for practically every running injury, and most injuries heal with time.Unfortunately, no magic pill will cure you instantly. Nor is a simple change of shoes the right answer. Instead

to be getting new trainers for the race.Q. I stopped running for a couple of months as I was getting lots of little injuries followed by a torn hamstring in the latter half of last year. I've just started again and I’ve done a few five-milers. My knees hurts

Matt Todman from Six Physio joined us for a webchat recently to answer your physio-related questions and offer advice on injury prevention.Matt qualified as a physio 20 years ago and has spent the past decade at the forefront of sports medicine. He

’ve haven’t really had any injury niggles.I ran a half-marathon last Sunday, not quite all out.  I had fairly sharp localised pain inside the knee joint/just above and behind the medial side of the patella, which appeared about seven hours after the race (I

in the body, creating instability in the pelvis and spine.Wearing the right running shoes will help you to avoid injury, especially if you have low foot arches. Overpronation (excessive rolling in) of the feet leads to exaggerated internal rotation of the shin

. Sounds a bit like sesamoiditis  - which are small bones on the base of your big toe. Excessive loading can irritate the bones.  Do you train in different shoes to which you race? Is there enough support at the front of your shoes? Have you over stretched