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How to safely increase your running mileage without injury?

  • Oct 20, 2025
  • 2 min read

How to Safely Increase Your Running Mileage

Increasing your running mileage can improve performance, but doing it too quickly raises the risk of injury. Here’s a summary of expert recommendations from Men’s Health (2024), based on certified running coaches and research.

  1. Training Volume Improves Performance

    • A 2021 study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that training volume was strongly correlated with better long-distance running performance.(Source: Mateo, A. “How to Safely Increase Your Running Mileage.” Men’s Health, June 2, 2025. Link)

  2. Rapid Increases Raise Injury Risk

    • A 2023 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine analyzed nearly 50,000 training runs via Strava and found that sudden increases in weekly mileage were associated with higher injury rates.

  3. The 10% Rule Is a Guideline, Not a Law

    • Certified coaches Brian Passenti (USATF & UESCA) and David Ayotte Jr. (USATF, C.S.C.S.) emphasize that increasing mileage by 10% per week is only a rough guideline. The effect differs based on your weekly volume and individual tolerance.

  4. Build an Aerobic Base First

    • Beginners should spend about a month running at an easy pace to allow muscles and connective tissues to adapt.

    • Only after this base can mileage increases be introduced safely.

  5. Use Gradual, Measured Increases

    • Increase mileage in small increments (e.g., 1–2 miles per week), aiming for an acute to chronic workload ratio (ACWR) of 0.8–1.3 to minimize injury risk.

    • Larger jumps, especially above 30% weekly increase, can backfire.

  6. Take a Down Week Every 4 Weeks

    • Reduce mileage or intensity to allow recovery and adaptation.

    • Overtraining occurs if the body doesn’t have time to adapt to stress.

  7. Listen to Your Body

    • Persistent aches, fatigue, elevated resting heart rate, or decreased performance are warning signs to slow down.

    • Training should be flexible and individualized.

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