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From plantar fasciitis to blisters, these are the top causes of foot pain for runners

At least 50 percent of runners are injured annually, according to a 2010 review published in Current Sports Medicine Reports, and feet are one of the main culprits. But foot pain can be hard to manage. Is it a serious injury? Just an ache? Can you push through, or will you make it worse? 

We asked two podiatrists to give us a rundown on the most common foot injuries for runners. Stephen M. Pribut, former president of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine, is a runner himself and has treated Olympic athletes. Lisa M. Schoene is a sports-medicine podiatrist and a certified athletic trainer who has been in practice for over 28 years.

Both Pribut and Schoene explained that most running-related foot injuries are a result of overuse, the wrong shoes, or an abrupt transition between different types of shoes. Natural foot shape and biomechanics also play a role. Here’s a helpful guide to figuring out why your feet hurt and how to jump-start your recovery. But of course, this doesn’t replace a visit to your doctor. If you’re dealing with serious or persistent pain, make an appointment with a physician.

Plantar Fasciitis 

What it is:

The most common foot injury among runners is plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of a web of thick ligaments (the plantar fascia) that runs along the bottom of the foot and connects the heel bone to the bones of the forefoot. The plantar fascia support the arch of the foot and act as a spring for forward propulsion. The usual signs and symptoms include pain on the bottom of the heel, which could present as dull, sharp, or a burning ache, either directly below the calcaneus (heel bone) or toward the front of it. The pain typically comes on slowly and builds over multiple days or weeks. It can be strongest when you wake up in the morning or during a run.

Why you get it: 

Overuse from an increase in training volume or intensity 

Switching to a zero-drop shoe or a pair of shoes with less arch support 

Tight Achilles tendons or calf muscles 

Weight gain, which adds unaccustomed stress to the plantar fascia 

How to fix it:

Reduce your training volume and intensity or, better yet, lay off running altogether for a few weeks. “If you keep running through your plantar fasciitis, it will inevitably get worse,” Schoene says, “but you can definitely cross-train.” In your day-to-day life, wear shoes with ample cushioning, arch support, and elevated heels. Seriously—whether they’re 12-millimeter drop running shoes, clogs, or kitten heels, they’ll alleviate the pressure on your plantar fascia. Avoid going barefoot. 

When you return to running, ease back into it. If you had switched to different running shoes in the weeks before your pain started, it might be wise to switch back to something like what you had before. You’ll want a shoe with ample cushioning, a high drop, and good arch support. If the heel pain returns, go see a professional, because you might benefit from orthotics.

As for physical therapy, do 20 reps of towel crunches once or twice per day: place a towel on the floor, put your foot on top, and curl your toes to squeeze a fold of fabric. Stretch your calves from a step. Roll out your arches with a soft massage ball or a tennis ball (as opposed to a firmer lacrosse ball), and be extremely gentle around your heel. Roll out your lower legs with a foam roller or a massage stick to release tension in your calves and Achilles.

Achilles Tendonitis

What it is: 

The Achilles tendon connects the calf muscle to the heel bone and is subject to repetitive stress. When the calf contracts, it pulls the heel up, and this movement allows us to push off our toes when we run, walk, or jump. Over time this can lead to inflammation, micro tears, and tendonitis. The tendonitis can be located at the insertion point where the Achilles connects to the heel bone, in the middle of the tendon, or higher up where the tendon attaches to the calf muscle. Achilles tendonitis typically involves pain or a dull ache behind the ankle, anywhere between the heel bone and the start of the calf muscle. This area can also swell and become red.

Why you get it: 

Overuse from an increase in training volume or intensity 

Hill workouts (running uphill puts more strain on the Achilles) 

Change in running stride (heel strike to midfoot strike, or vice versa) 

Worn-out shoes or switching to a flatter or less supportive shoe 

Tight calf muscles 

Hip and core weakness 

How to fix it:

Shin Splints

What it is: 

Shin splints is a catchall term for pain in the front of the shins, also known as medial tibial stress syndrome. The tibia, your shin bone, is the larger of the two bones in your lower leg, and this stress occurs in the midline of the bone and the surrounding tissue. This overuse injury is characterized by inflammation and possible micro tears in the posterior tibialis muscle (the key stabilizing muscle of the lower leg), as well as inflammation in the surrounding tissue and shinbone. Shin splints usually present as a throbbing, aching pain or soreness in the front or inside of the lower leg between the ankle and knee. Pain can last all day but is usually sharpest during each foot strike and right after exercise.

Why you get it: 

Overuse from an increase in training volume or intensity 

Poor foot mechanics, including overpronation (foot rolls inward), which puts repetitive tension and stress on the tibialis posterior muscle and tendon, which hold up the arch 

Worn-out or unsupportive shoes that allow overpronation 

Frequent running on hard surfaces, such as pavement or a track 

How to fix it:

If your pain isn’t increasing, you can keep running, but you’ll recover much faster if you switch to low-impact cross-training until the pain and inflammation have subsided. If you continue to push through, it’s best to cut back on mileage and intensity, avoid hills, and stick to softer surfaces like trails. After runs, ice for 20 minutes on, 45 minutes off, repeating this sequence three times.

Posterior Tibial Tendonitis

What it is: 

Posterior tibial tendonitis and shin splints are both inflammation injuries in the same muscle-tendon structure. While shin splints occur in the posterior tibialis muscle (the shin), posterior tibial tendonitis can occur in the tendon that wraps around the inside of the ankle and connects the muscle to the navicular bone at the midfoot. They can usually be traced to similar causes. If you’re dealing with tendonitis, you’ll feel pain, tenderness, and swelling around the inside of the ankle and sometimes down to the navicular bone.

Why you get it: 

Overuse from an increase in training volume or intensity 

Overpronation (foot rolls inward), which puts repetitive tension and stress on the posterior tibialis muscle and tendon 

Worn-out or unsupportive shoes that allow overpronation 

How to fix it:

See the above steps for shin splints. Wearing an ankle-compression sleeve can also help alleviate pain and prevent further injury when you return to running.

Peroneal Tendonitis

What it is: 

Peroneal tendonitis is posterior tibial tendonitis’s evil twin—it’s an inflammatory injury of the peroneal tendons (there are two) on the outside of the ankle. The main function of these tendons is to stabilize the foot and the ankle and prevent them from rolling outward. Unlike the majority of the other injuries listed here, peroneal tendonitis can be acute (from a single injury, like rolling your ankle) or result from overuse. The usual signs and symptoms are pain, tenderness, and swelling around the outside of the ankle and possibly down to the outside of the midfoot. Pain can sometimes occur on the bottom of the foot, where it is often mistaken for plantar fasciitis.

Why you get it: 

Overuse from an increase in training volume or intensity 

Supination 

Unsupportive or too soft shoes that allow supination 

Chronic ankle instability 

Inversion ankle sprain (foot inverts and ankle rolls to the outside) 

Running on uneven terrain with roots, rocks, and other obstacles that stress the ankles 

Lateral sports that involve quick changes of direction 

Always running around a track in the same direction 

How to fix it:

Reduce your training volume and intensity, and wear an ankle-compression sleeve for support when you run. Switch to shoes with firmer stability to prevent supination. Orthotics might help severe supination, and heel lifts can help relieve tension on the tendon. After runs, ice for 20 minutes on, 45 minutes off, and repeat this sequence three times. While you recover, avoid knobby trails and technical terrain where you risk rolling or straining the ankle.

Spend some time on a wobble board to improve your balance and ankle strength. Start with one to two minutes, going side to side, front to back, and in circles, to improve your balance and ankle strength. Build up to longer sessions of up to ten minutes. Stretch your calves and roll out your lower legs (avoid rolling over the ankle bone). Once the pain is gone, begin a strength-training routine to target the calves, the core, and the hips.

Metatarsal Capsulitis and Morton’s Neuroma

What they are: 

Metatarsalgia is a general term to describe pain, tenderness, and inflammation in the ball of the foot. Usually, that pain comes from metatarsal capsulitis: swelling in the capsule surrounding the joint where your toe meets your foot, typically at the second toe. Morton’s neuroma, the enlargement of the nerves between your foot bones, feels similar, though the pain is closer to the outside of the foot, at the third and fourth toes.

Sharp, aching, or radiating pain in the ball of the foot is a common symptom of both metatarsalgia and Morton’s neuroma. The pain typically worsens during exercise or when you wear a firm or tight shoe. Pain or a sensation of numbness can also extend into the toes. You might also get the feeling that there’s a bunch in your sock or a pebble in your shoe under the ball of your foot.

Why you get them: 

Overuse from an increase in training volume or intensity 

Shoes that are too narrow or tight (including climbing or cycling shoes) 

Low-cushion or minimalist shoes 

Bunions (the curvature of the big toe can put more pressure on the second toe, creating a greater risk of capsulitis) 

How to fix them:

If you’re dealing with capsulitis, lay off running altogether for a few weeks and visit your doctor. “You want to jump on capsulitis as quickly as you can, because the capsule around the joint can tear, and if that happens, the second toe can pop up into what we call hammer toe, which is very unstable and painful,” says Shoene. In daily life, wear a wider, high-cushion shoe with a rockered sole to remove some of the impact and stress to the metatarsal bones and joints.

For Morton’s neuroma, switching to a wider, high-cushioned shoe often brings immediate pain relief, since that decreases pressure on the nerve. If the pain is manageable and begins to fade, you can usually continue running and training with a wider shoe.

Stress Fracture

What it is: 

A stress fracture is a hairline crack or group of cracks in a bone. These can happen in any bone, but for runners, they most commonly occur in the tibia (and are often associated with shin splints), metatarsals, and the calcaneus (heel bone). This is primarily an overuse injury but can also result from a single event, for example, if you’re used to running on softer trails and then complete a long road race in low-cushioned shoes. Typically, stress fractures present as an aching or burning pain, usually localized, anywhere along a bone.

Why you get it:  

Overuse from an increase in training volume or intensity 

Running frequently on hard surfaces or a track in a single direction 

Running in low-cushioned shoes, such as track spikes or minimalist shoes 

Eating disorders or energy imbalances (burning more calories than you’re consuming) 

The female-athlete triad: an eating disorder, amenorrhea (the absence of a period), and osteoporosis 

“It often starts as a physiological change at the cellular level, where you’ll have decreased production of new bone, increased absorption of bone, and an inflammatory component that can cause pain,” says Pribut. “As bone density decreases and the stress of running continues, it can become a physical crack.”

How to fix it:

Reduce training volume and intensity, and visit your doctor. Switch to a high-cushioned, rockered shoe, such as those made by Hoka, to reduce impact forces. Eat a well-balanced diet with adequate calcium and vitamin D. Build consolidation weeks—during which you back off your mileage—into your training plan to give your body a chance to recover and put the calcium where it needs to be.

“Runners have good pain tolerance and often ignore the issue,” says Pribut. “Listen to your body for warning signs. If your bones are achy, back off the training immediately, assess, and get to work on recovery.”

Mild stress fractures can heal in approximately three to six weeks if you’re diligent about recovery, but serious stress fractures can take six weeks to three months to heal and might require a walking cast. If you’re prone to stress fractures, consult a medical professional and ask for a bone-density scan.

Blisters and Black Toenails

What they are: 

You probably don’t need help identifying blisters and blackened toenails (which form when blood vessels rupture beneath the nail). They can sneak up on you anytime, and, if you’re lucky, you’ll only notice once you take off your shoes. That said, they can certainly derail a run or two, with burning pain or dull achiness.

Why you get them: 

Blisters result from prolonged friction, pressure, and moisture, all of which can be exacerbated by your shoe and sock choice. 

Black toenails come from repetitive trauma to the nail bed, usually from the toe hitting the front or top of the inside of a shoe, which can be exacerbated by ill-fitting shoes and long downhills. 

How to fix them:

Both blisters and black toenails generally resolve on their own. In the case that a blister ruptures or a toenail falls off, do your best to keep it clean and otherwise leave it alone.

To avoid blisters, keep your feet dry with moisture-wicking socks and breathable shoes. During long training runs or races, periodically change into fresh socks, and even shoes, if you can. If you’re getting a hot spot, dry your feet and try to put padding around the area.

Buy shoes that fit well. Shoes that are too tight cause excessive pressure, which leads to blisters and jams your toes against the top or front of the shoe. Shoes that are too loose allow for too much movement within the shoe, which causes blisters and black toenails, especially on the downhill. If you just bought new shoes, break them in around the house, office, or on shorter runs before using them for a long run or race. 

Most Olympic marathoners spend their youth focused on running. They join track clubs, compete in national championships, and pursue the sport from an early age.

Julia Mayer’s journey was very different.

Today, Mayer is Austria’s marathon record holder, a multiple national record holder on the roads, and an Olympian. Yet for much of her athletic life, running was not her primary sport.

For 16 years, she played soccer.

Then she discovered something that would change her life.

“I noticed that I was really fast in the fun runs and that it was really, really fun,” Mayer said when reflecting on her transition from soccer to distance running.

What began as curiosity quickly became a passion. She eventually made the bold decision to leave soccer behind and focus entirely on running. It was a move that surprised many people around her, but Mayer believed she had found her true athletic calling.

The decision proved to be the right one.

Within a few years, Mayer developed into one of Europe’s top marathon runners. Her steady improvement carried her from local races to the international stage, where she began rewriting Austria’s record books.

She now holds Austrian records in the marathon, half marathon, and road 10K. Her marathon best of 2:26:08 established her as the fastest female marathoner in Austrian history. Her performances in the half marathon and 10K have further cemented her place among the country’s all-time great distance runners.

Her rise culminated with qualification for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Competing in the Olympic marathon represented the realization of a dream. On one of the most challenging marathon courses ever used for the Olympics, Mayer ran courageously against the strongest field in the world and finished 55th in her Olympic debut.

Behind the scenes, success has come through extraordinary dedication. During marathon preparation, Mayer trains twice a day and covers approximately 200 kilometers, or 124 miles, each week. The workload demands discipline, patience, and a deep commitment to continuous improvement. 

What makes her story especially inspiring is not simply the records or the Olympic appearance.

It is the fact that she found her greatest talent later than many elite runners.

In a sport where athletes are often identified at a young age, Mayer’s journey serves as a reminder that potential does not always reveal itself early. Sometimes it takes years of experience, a willingness to try something new, and the courage to follow a different path. 

The former soccer player who once chased a ball across a field is now chasing history on the roads of Europe.

And according to those closest to her, her best performances may still be ahead.

For runners of every age and ability, Julia Mayer’s story delivers a powerful lesson: it is never too late to discover what you are capable of.

From soccer player to Olympian, her journey proves that remarkable achievements can begin when least expected.

Megan Keith produced the performance of her career in Oslo on Thursday night, shattering one of Scotland’s longest-standing distance running records and cementing her place among Britain’s greatest female 3000m runners.

The 24-year-old clocked a sensational 8:28.35 over 3000m, breaking the Scottish outdoor record that had stood for nearly four decades. In doing so, Keith eclipsed the previous mark of 8:29.02, set by Scottish legend Yvonne Murray back in 1988, ending a record reign that had lasted 38 years.

Keith’s breakthrough run was more than just a national record. The performance also propelled her to third on the UK outdoor all-time list, placing her behind only two of Britain’s most celebrated distance runners — Paula Radcliffe, who leads the rankings with 8:22.20, and Laura Weightman, whose 8:26.07 remains the second-fastest outdoor mark by a British woman.

The significance of Keith’s achievement is amplified by the calibre of athletes she now joins in the record books. For decades, Murray’s mark stood as one of Scottish athletics’ most untouchable records, surviving generations of elite competitors. Keith has now succeeded where many outstanding runners have fallen short, announcing herself as one of the leading distance talents in British athletics.

Her time also compares favourably with the best performances produced indoors. Olympic medallist Laura Muir ran 8:26.41 indoors in Karlsruhe in 2017, underlining just how exceptional Keith’s outdoor effort in Oslo truly was.

The run continues a remarkable rise for the Scottish star, whose progression over recent seasons has transformed her from a promising prospect into a genuine force on the international stage. Running with confidence and composure against elite competition, Keith demonstrated both the speed and endurance required to challenge the very best in Europe and beyond.

With the World Championship season gathering momentum, Keith’s record-breaking display sends a powerful message. Not only has she etched her name into Scottish athletics history, but she has also established herself as a serious contender in one of the sport’s most competitive events.

In Oslo, Megan Keith did far more than break a record. She ended a 38-year wait, climbed into the upper echelon of British distance running, and delivered a performance that may prove to be a defining moment in her career.

British middle-distance talent Phoebe Gill took another significant step forward in her return to top form, producing a determined victory over 800 metres at the Meeting de Marseille in France on Wednesday.

Competing in challenging, wind-affected conditions, the 19-year-old demonstrated both resilience and composure as she held off a late charge from Switzerland's Veronica Vancardo to secure the win in 2:00.81. Vancardo finished just three hundredths of a second behind in 2:00.84, underlining the fiercely contested nature of the race.

While the margin of victory was narrow, the result represented another encouraging milestone for Gill as she continues to rebuild momentum following her injury setback. The young Briton showed impressive race awareness and strength in the closing stages, maintaining her advantage despite the difficult conditions that made fast running a challenge throughout the evening.

The Marseille triumph adds to a growing body of evidence that Gill is steadily progressing toward her best form. Earlier in her comeback campaign, she clocked 2:01.50 for 800m in Bydgoszcz before demonstrating her versatility with a strong 4:05.53 performance over 1500 metres at the BMC Grand Prix meeting in Trafford.

Those performances have highlighted not only her improving fitness but also her ability to compete across multiple distances as she carefully builds her season. The Marseille victory now provides further confirmation that the European junior star is moving in the right direction.

Gill emerged as one of Britain's most exciting middle-distance prospects through a series of breakthrough performances as a teenager, earning widespread recognition for her fearless racing style and remarkable maturity. Injury temporarily interrupted that upward trajectory, but her recent results suggest she is steadily rediscovering the form that made her one of the sport's brightest young talents.

With each race, the signs of progress become increasingly evident. Winning in difficult conditions and under pressure from a quality field is often a stronger indicator than a fast time alone, and Gill's latest success demonstrated exactly those qualities.

As the summer season gathers pace, the Marseille victory offers another confidence boost for the British teenager, whose return continues to gain momentum. If her recent progression is any indication, Gill could soon find herself back among the leading names on the European middle-distance circuit. 

The NCAA Track and Field Championships delivered a moment few could have predicted as Ja’Kobe Tharp produced one of the most astonishing performances in the history of sprint hurdling, rewriting the record books in spectacular fashion.

Competing in the opening round of the men’s 110-meter hurdles, the Auburn star stunned the athletics world by clocking an incredible 12.75 seconds, becoming the first athlete ever to break the 12.80-second barrier. In doing so, he eclipsed the long-standing world record of 12.80 set by Aries Merritt in 2012, a mark that had stood as one of the sport’s most revered achievements for more than a decade.

What makes Tharp’s breakthrough even more remarkable is the scale of his improvement. Entering the championships, the defending NCAA and U.S. champion had recorded a season-best of 13.05 seconds. Yet under the brightest spotlight, he unleashed a performance that exceeded every expectation, slicing an extraordinary 0.26 seconds from his personal best in a race that instantly became one of the greatest ever run.

The achievement sent shockwaves throughout the track and field community. While Tharp arrived in Eugene as one of the leading contenders for the NCAA title, few envisioned a performance capable of redefining the limits of the event. Instead, the American hurdler delivered a race for the ages, combining flawless technique, explosive speed, and impeccable rhythm from the first hurdle to the finish line.

The historic run not only secured his place in athletics history but also transformed the outlook of the championship. With the world record now in his possession, Tharp advances to the final as the overwhelming favorite, carrying momentum that could make an already unforgettable weekend even more extraordinary.

For years, the 12.80 barrier appeared untouchable. On a stunning day at the NCAA Championships, Ja’Kobe Tharp proved otherwise, producing the kind of performance that reminds fans why sport remains so unpredictable. In a matter of seconds, he turned a routine qualifying round into a landmark moment that will be remembered for generations.

The world record no one saw coming is now a reality—and Ja’Kobe Tharp is the man who changed history.

A new chapter in middle-distance running may have begun in Oslo after American teenager Cooper Lutkenhaus produced one of the most remarkable performances of the season, narrowly defeating reigning Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi in a thrilling men's 800m contest at the Diamond League meeting.

The 17-year-old sensation shocked a world-class field by crossing the finish line first in a race that came down to the smallest of margins. After an intense battle over the final metres, Lutkenhaus held off Wanyonyi by just one hundredth of a second, producing a dramatic finish that left the packed stadium in disbelief.

From the opening lap, the pace was relentless as the leading contenders positioned themselves for a fierce showdown. As the athletes entered the home straight, Wanyonyi appeared poised to unleash his trademark finishing kick. However, Lutkenhaus refused to be intimidated, matching the Olympic champion stride for stride before producing a perfectly timed lean at the line to secure a historic victory.

The result marks a breakthrough moment for the young American, who continues to establish himself as one of the brightest talents in global athletics. Defeating an Olympic champion at a Diamond League event is a feat many athletes spend entire careers pursuing, yet Lutkenhaus achieved it before reaching adulthood.

For Wanyonyi, the narrow defeat does little to diminish his status as one of the world's premier 800m runners. The Kenyan once again demonstrated his exceptional class and competitiveness, pushing the race to a world-class standard and forcing his young rival to deliver the performance of a lifetime.

Beyond the result itself, the race offered a glimpse into what could become one of the sport's most exciting rivalries in the years ahead. With established stars and emerging talents now pushing each other to new heights, the men's 800m continues to evolve into one of athletics' most captivating events.

On a memorable night in Oslo, the spotlight belonged to Cooper Lutkenhaus. At just 17 years old, he stood toe-to-toe with an Olympic champion and emerged victorious, announcing himself to the athletics world in spectacular fashion.