Taming the Dragon: Determinants influencing injury occurrence
Our 2019 Dragon’s Back Race® Participants may recall that a research project was conducted at the event by Tom Hepburn from the University of Cumbria. This study investigated factors that may influence the requirement for medical assistance during the race and/or on completion. Today we are really delighted to share Tom’s research findings and his dissertation poster:
Working hard at the 2019 Dragon’s Back Race® ©No Limits Photography
There has been a distinct rise in multi-day, mountain ultramarathons in recent years, but the research surrounding training preparation and injury rates is still catching up. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the need for medical assistance, or non-completion of an event like the Dragon’s Back Race®, was influenced by factors exclusive to ultra-distance mountain running.
With support from Ourea Events, a pre-race survey was distributed to entrants of the 2019 Dragon’s Back Race® to establish how runners were training for the event. This information was then compared with medical data and completion rates, to establish outcomes of race preparation strategies. In a nutshell: ‘what were the training characteristics of runners that were significantly less likely to need medical assistance, and more likely to complete the race?’
At a glance:
Skin conditions were the most common complaint (28.8%), followed by injury to the knee and ankle (20.6%).
Runners that completed the full race spent more hours training (12+ hours) and ran further (50+ miles) per week in preparation.
Entrants with lower weekly running volumes, who trained less, and didn’t perform ‘recovery runs’ during their preparation were significantly more likely to require medical assistance during the race.
73.7% of runners who reported as being injured in the 2 weeks leading up to the race needed some form of medical attention during the event.
These results suggest that to be successful in completing the Dragon’s Back Race®, sufficient time should be given to a training plan, in order to safely increase mileage, while allowing for the adequate testing of kit and clothing, to reduce the risk of injury.
If you would like any additional information, or would like a copy of the complete study, please email Tom Hepburn at: [email protected]
Tom Hepburn’s dissertation poster