24 REASONS TO RUN IN 2024

How every step you take will change your life for the better this year.

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01 TO BUST THAT KNEES MYTH

IF WE HAD FIVE RAND FOR EVERY TIME WE'VE HEARD 'Pounding the pavements? You'll ruin your knees!' we'd all be... well, perhaps not millionaires, but definitely set for a new pair of Alphaflys. And the doubters would be wrong.

Osteoarthritis is no joke - when cartilage around the bones deteriorates, the result is pain, stiffness and even disability. It's incredibly common, and there's no known cure. But running will not increase your risk.

In a study from the University of California last year, researchers surveyed 3 804 runners who had run in the Chicago Marathon in 2019 or 2021 and asked them for a potted running history: how many years, average pace, any family history of arthritis. On average, their subjects were around 44 years old and ran 44.9km a week at just under 5:35/km.

And from the elites down to the first-timers, the researchers found no association between increased risk of knee (or hip) arthritis and the number of years someone had been running. Or with the number of marathons they'd run, their weekly mileage or their pace.

Overall, only 7.3% of those studied said they'd ever received a diagnosis of knee or hip arthritis. For reference, approximately one in 10 adults worldwide have osteoarthritis.

Unfortunately, doctors don't always seem to read the latest studies - in this one, the researchers asked all runners if their own doctors had ever suggested they cut back on mileage or stop running. Nearly a quarter said yes.

02 TO HELP YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY

DISCARDED RUBBISH DOESN'T JUST LOOK BAD, it can harm wildlife, attract vermin and has even been shown to contribute to crime in an area. Millions of pieces of litter are dropped on our streets every single day, and while we're sure RW readers are the most responsible of non-littering citizens, perhaps it's time we got a bit more proactive.