[Long-term success and risk for marathon runners]

The popularity of marathon running has increased during recent years, which is reflected by the dramatic increase in the number of competitions and participants. Running a marathon itself does not usually cause any severe lesions of the joints but the problems mostly occur during training prior to the marathon. Before the event runners often question whether they can successfully take part in the competition and cope with the pain that might occur during running. In addition to the rare acute trauma, which is in general caused by falls or slipping, chronic injuries are of particular relevance for long distance running.This article describes the typical patterns of injuries to long distance runners, the positive effects of running a marathon and the risk factors for injuries.