Historically, running and injury have had a PR problem. Lots of the general public still believe our noble sport to be bad for your knees, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, while many of us have experienced a spell on the sidelines due to such delights as runner’s knee, ITB syndrome and shin splints.
But when it comes to serious injury – the kind that can land you in hospital, say, rather than the physio bench – running is even less risky than golf. That’s the conclusion of a study from the University of Bath, which even found that so-called risky sports, such as road cycling, are generally safe as well.
According to the study’s results, there are a mere 0.70 serious running injuries per 100,000 participants per year. That’s even less than golf (1.25) and considerably less than football (6.56), obstacle racing (12) and rugby (25).
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Track and field athletics, meanwhile, was lower still (0.4) – even less than swimming (0.6).
Motorsports, equestrian activities and gliding (both paragliding and hang-gliding) were the riskiest activities studied. Motorsports accounted for 532 serious injuries, equestrian pursuits 235 and gliding 191 for 100,000 participants.
Men were almost twice as likely to incur serious injury than women (6.4 versus 3.3).
Game on
The key message from the study is, in fact, how relatively safe recreational sporting activities are.
Study lead Dr Sean Williams said: ‘This work demonstrates that engaging in fitness activities is overwhelmingly a safe and beneficial pursuit. While no physical activity is entirely without risk, the chance of serious injury is exceedingly low when compared to the myriad health and wellness advantages gained from staying active.’
The study is the first time in England and Wales that researchers have attempted to describe and quantify the relative risks of trauma resulting from sport or some other physical activity. It’s hoped that the study’s results will make it easier for both participants and organisers of activities to make their pursuits safer still.
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