Columbia SC Runners: This One Training Mistake Increases Injury Risk by 128%

The Most Common Mistake Runners Make

If you’re a runner in Columbia, SC, training through the heat or prepping for your next race, chances are you’re doing everything you can to stay injury-free. But new research suggests that one simple training mistake dramatically increases your risk for a running-related injury—and it’s not what most people expect.

A recently published study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine analyzed over 5,200 runners and uncovered a strong link between single-session spikes in running distance and overuse injuries.

Link to Study
(Frandsen JSB et al., BJSM, July 2025)

What the Research Found

Instead of looking at weekly mileage or long-term training volume, researchers zeroed in on one variable:

How much farther a runner goes in one run compared to their previous longest run in the past 30 days.

They found a clear pattern—when runners exceeded their recent long-run distance by more than 10%, injury risk increased significantly:

• 10–30% increase → 64% higher injury risk
• 30–100% increase → 52% higher injury risk
• More than 100% increase → 128% higher injury risk

In other words, if your longest run over the last month was 6 miles, and you suddenly crank out 7, 8, or even 12 miles, you’re stepping into high-risk territory.

What About Weekly Mileage or ACWR?

This study also looked at two common training load metrics:

• Acute:Chronic Workload Ratio (ACWR)
  
• Week-to-Week Running Volume

Surprisingly, neither of these showed a clear association with injury risk. In fact, some runners with high ACWR actually had lower injury rates, challenging long-held assumptions.

✅ The takeaway? Weekly mileage changes weren’t the problem. Sudden spikes in a single run were.

Why This Matters for Columbia SC Runners

Whether you’re logging miles on the Cayce Riverwalk, grinding uphill through Harbison State Forest, or sticking to a treadmill in your air-conditioned gym, you should be thinking about how each long run compares to your recent ones—not just your total mileage for the week.

Columbia’s heat, humidity, and seasonal race calendar make it tempting to “push through” when preparing for events. But this data supports the idea that a slow, consistent progression in long runs is more protective than worrying about weekly totals alone.

How to Train Smarter and Stay Healthy

Here are three quick tips for local runners:

1. Track your longest run each month and stay within a 10% increase per session
2. Avoid doubling your distance, even if you’re feeling good
3. Build a training plan that prioritizes recovery and progressive overload

If you’re unsure how to structure your mileage safely, or you’re returning from injury, this is where a local PT can help.

Physical Therapy for Runners in Columbia SC

At Vertex PT Specialists, we specialize in injury prevention, rehab, and performance coaching for runners in Columbia, SC.

We offer:

• Running gait analysis
• Return-to-run protocols
• Strength programs for distance athletes
• Manual therapy for pain, stiffness, and overload issues

Key Takeaways

• A spike in single-session distance is the top predictor of overuse injury
• Weekly mileage and ACWR are not reliable indicators of injury risk
• Avoid increasing your long run by more than 10% compared to your longest in the last 30 days
• Columbia runners should especially take this to heart given the climate and terrain