Is distance running bad for your hips and knees? New research says not, finding no link between arthritis and how far, and for how long, you have run

A study of marathon runners finds no links between their running history and osteoarthritis, instead citing age, high BMI and family history as risk factors

The findings undermine older studies linking distance running to knee and hip damage. Researchers say doctors should re-examine their guidelines against running

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Participants in the 2023 Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon. A new study shows no causal link between marathon runners’ running history and osteoarthritis, undermining the notion that long-distance running damages the knees and hips. Photo: Elson Li

Published: 6:15pm, 18 Sep 2023

A study of nearly 4,000 marathon runners has provided compelling evidence to dispel the myth that long-distance running damages the knees and hips.

The research, published in the Journal of Sports Medicine, suggests there is no link between the prevalence of osteoarthritis in runners and their running-related history – including the number of marathons completed, cumulative years of running, average weekly mileage, and average running pace.

“For those who have been closely following the science around this, the new findings are not surprising at all,” says Alexa Duckworth-Briggs, a certified running coach at UK-based running coach service We Run.

“The narrative that running, particularly long-distance running, is harmful to the knees and hips has been largely based on outdated or anecdotal evidence. Existing data have consistently failed to establish a causal link between running and arthritis.”

Marathon runners in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, this year. Running, including running marathons, does not cause knee and hip injuries, research shows. Photo: Dickson Lee

The research findings showed the most significant risk factors for developing hip or knee arthritis were age, a high body mass index (BMI), previous injury or surgery, and family history.