As running continues to grow around the world, we are seeing more and more opinions about how we should train, fuel, recover and strength train.
I often see people going back and forth on social media about the right and wrong ways to train. I think discussion around training is a good thing. There are many different ways to improve as a runner, and what works for one person might not work for another.
The problem is that these conversations can sometimes lack evidence or real world experience. What starts as a healthy discussion can quickly turn into something that is misleading for runners.
Over the last seven years of running and working as a physiotherapist, I have heard plenty of different myths about running. Some are harmless, but others can genuinely influence how people train or even stop them from running altogether.
So, I wanted to break down three myths that I hear regularly, looking at what the research says, my own experience as both a physio and runner, and what I have learnt from listening to and reading the work of experienced people in the sport.
1. Running leads to osteoarthritis
One of the biggest fears I hear from people who are thinking about starting running is that it will "wear out" their joints.
There is a common belief that running, particularly on concrete, will repeatedly damage your cartilage and eventually leave you with knee or hip osteoarthritis.
The research does not really support this idea.
A large systematic review and meta-analysis by Alentorn-Geli et al. (2017) found that recreational runners had a lower prevalence of hip and knee osteoarthritis compared with non-runners and competitive runners. In fact, the prevalence of osteoarthritis was around three times higher in non-runners compared with recreational runners.
This does not mean that running prevents osteoarthritis, or that runners cannot develop joint problems. Osteoarthritis is multifactorial, with things such as previous injuries, genetics, age and other individual factors all playing a role.
However, the idea that running simply wears out your joints is not supported by the evidence.
Cartilage is a specialised tissue that responds to mechanical loading. Movement and appropriately dosed loading are important for maintaining healthy tissues. We do not need to avoid loading our joints to keep them healthy. Like most tissues in the body, they need an appropriate amount of stress to adapt.
So, if you have been avoiding running because you are worried about destroying your knees, the research should be reassuring.
Running is not something you need to avoid because you are worried about wearing out your joints.
2. Zone 2 is the best way to train
Over the last five years, the popularity of "Zone 2" has exploded.
While I agree with a lot of the principles behind slower running, I think the conversation has become a little too black and white.
Zone 2 is a physiological training intensity. It is not simply another way of saying "easy run" or "slow run". It is generally considered to sit below the first lactate threshold, although there are different ways of defining and measuring training zones.
This is where I think social media has made things a little confusing.
Zone 2 has almost become a training philosophy in itself, with people being told that they should keep the majority of their running within a particular heart rate range.
But if we are going to use physiology to dictate how we train, we also need to recognise that these zones are not as clear cut as they are often presented online.
The lower boundary of Zone 2 is particularly difficult to define. Different methods of determining training zones can give you different numbers, even when the underlying physiological intensity is similar.
More importantly, Zone 2 is not magic.
I absolutely think slower running has a place in a good training program. Running at a lower intensity allows us to accumulate more training while generally producing less fatigue and mechanical stress. It can also make running more enjoyable and allow us to recover better between harder sessions.
But that does not mean every run needs to be in Zone 2.
The recent review by Storoschuk et al. (2025) discusses the role of different exercise intensities in improving mitochondrial capacity and cardiorespiratory fitness. The authors highlight that higher intensity exercise can produce important physiological adaptations and that there is not one single intensity that is best for every outcome.
For a new runner who is only running three times per week, for example, I do not think it makes sense to be overly rigid about keeping every session in Zone 2 if improving fitness is the main goal.
For me, the more useful part of the Zone 2 conversation is actually load management.
We know that faster running generally places greater loads on our muscles, tendons and bones. If slowing down allows you to train consistently, recover properly and enjoy running more, then that is a huge positive.
But if we are running in Zone 2 simply because social media has told us it is the best way to get fit, I think we are missing the bigger picture.
The goal should be to balance fitness, recovery, injury risk and enjoyment.
Sometimes you need an easy run.
Sometimes you need a hard run.
And sometimes you just need to run.
3. Super shoes lead to injuries
With the progression of running shoe technology, more runners now have access to highly engineered "super shoes".
In the clinic, I often hear people say that these shoes have caused their injury.
But I think the relationship between shoes and injuries is a lot more complicated than that.
There is currently no good evidence to suggest that advanced footwear technology causes more running injuries overall. In fact, some research suggests that these shoes can reduce certain measures of loading.
Werkhausen et al. (2024), for example, found that technologically advanced running shoes reduced oxygen cost and cumulative tibial loading per kilometre compared with conventional running shoes.
That does not mean that super shoes are injury proof.
One thing I see quite often is that someone puts on a faster, more efficient shoe, feels great and then starts doing more.
They run further.
They run faster.
They add another session.
They race more often.
Eventually something starts to hurt.
The shoe then gets blamed.
But the bigger issue might have been the sudden increase in training load.
This is why I think it is important to remember that running injuries are multifactorial. Training load, energy availability, sleep, stress, previous injury and tissue capacity can all play a role.
The shoe is just one part of the equation.
There is also an important point around load distribution. Advanced footwear technology may reduce certain loads, but it can also change where and how load is distributed through the body. This is something to consider when someone suddenly changes shoes and changes their training at the same time.
So, should you wear super shoes?
If they feel good, you tolerate them well and you enjoy running in them, I see no reason to avoid them simply because you are worried they will cause an injury.
I will often encourage runners to use them when appropriate. If a shoe makes running more enjoyable or reduces fatigue, that can be a really positive thing.
Just remember that a more efficient shoe is not a licence to suddenly double your training.
Run in what feels good. No shoe type has been proven to be the safest or best for every runner.
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All that to say, we hope these myth-busters help you run with a little more confidence, with some science-backed facts in your back pocket. Good running advice isn’t about following one perfect formula, but finding what allows you to train consistently, stay healthy and enjoy running for the long term.
FR
References
Alentorn-Geli, E., Samuelsson, K., Musahl, V., Green, C. L., Bhandari, M., & Karlsson, J. (2017). The association of recreational and competitive running with hip and knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 47(6), 373-390. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2017.7137
Storoschuk, K. L., Moran-MacDonald, A., Gibala, M. J., & Gurd, B. J. (2025). Much ado about Zone 2: A narrative review assessing the efficacy of Zone 2 training for improving mitochondrial capacity and cardiorespiratory fitness in the general population. Sports Medicine, 55(7), 1611-1624. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-025-02261-y
Tenforde, A. S., Hoenig, T., Saxena, A., & Hollander, K. (2023). Bone stress injuries in runners using carbon fiber plate footwear. Sports Medicine, 53, 1499-1505. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-023-01818-z
Werkhausen, A., Lund-Hansen, M., Wiedenbruch, L., Peikenkamp, K., & Rice, H. (2024). Technologically advanced running shoes reduce oxygen cost and cumulative tibial loading per kilometer in recreational female and male runners. Scientific Reports, 14, 11903. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-62263-0