Recently diagnosed

QueenWren

Hi all.

I’ve had back and joint pain for many years and today have finally been diagnosed with arthritic changes in my facet joints in my spine and other joints in my hips.

I am a runner and am currently training for the London Marathon. I have hip and back pain everyday, but tend to be pain free when I run most of the time. The advice on long distance running seems to be vague, so I wondered if anyone has any experience of running a marathon with arthritis?

Thanks!

Anna

Hi @QueenWren and welcome to the online community,

Congratulations on persevering with your running despite years of back and joint pain and finally being diagnosed with arthritis. As I'm sure you've found, exercise has so many benefits - physical and emotional - for people with arthritis but extra care does need to be taken to protect joints and not to overdo it.

Some of our members are runners - here's a recent thread about marathon running that you might like to read and maybe join in:

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/58618/half-marathon-done

Here's a link to some useful tips about preparing for a marathon:

https://www.versusarthritis.org/news/2023/march/running-a-marathon-for-versus-arthritis-read-our-expert-race-day-tips/

Good luck with your preparation, and please do let us know how you're getting on - I'm sure our members will be keen to hear about your experiences.

Anna (Moderator)