TOP TIPS
Keep Your Feet As Dry As Possible
Keep the skin of the feet as dry as possible
during a long run; this can be done by good
footwear design – using breathable shoe
upper materials or designs that include vents
and also by the repeated application of
surgical spirit which can act as an astringent,
reducing the amount of sweat produced.
Training Your Running Shoes
Always wear your trainers in at least 100
miles prior to a marathon.
Dress a burst blister using sterile dressings
on clean skin and remove further friction by
using blister pads and by following the above
advice.
Seek podiatric care where necessary to
remove flaps of skin.
If there any signs of infection (redness,
bad smell, pus, swelling) become apparent
at the site of a blister seek medical
assistance.
PODIATRY
DEPARTMENT
Warming up prior to your run and cooling
down on completion of run should always be
done.
Good Lacing Techniques
Lacing your trainers firmly and high up the
shoe, using the top eyelets to secure the
laces and prevent slippage is best way to
reduce shear-creating movements.
Wear Acrylic Socks
Acrylic fibre socks can reduce the frequency
and size of blisters in long distance runners.
Treat Problematic Flat Feet
Blisters under the arch may commonly result
due to flat feet. By consulting a podiatrist the
movements and function of a flat foot can be
addressed with foot orthoses and footwear
advice etc…
If this doesn’t work…..
Don’t intentionally burst blisters – risk of
infection!
Consider the terrain you run on. It is not
uncommon for an athlete to experience
symptoms which can be resolved by the
introduction of grass instead of tarmac or by
the elimination of downhill running.
If possible join a running club for support
and advice from experienced runners and
coaches regarding training routines
Increase your weekly mileage or time
spent running gradually by no more than
10% per week, and ensure sufficient rest or
easy days are included in any training
program. This will allow the body time to
recover and adapt to the demands of training
and reduce the risk of overuse injury.
Issued
Revised
Next Review
Images
January 2002
June 2015
June 2016
Microsoft
*used with permission of Microsoft
MARATHON RUNNING
RUNNING SHOES TIPS
MARATHON RUNNING
Running outdoors in the fresh air is a
fantastic way of keeping fit, but it can subject
the body to considerable stress. Every step a
runner takes the foot generates forces
equivalent to at least three and a half times
body weight. This force is absorbed by the
foot and lower limb and transferred to enable
forward movement.
Lower limb overuse injuries may
commonly result from this repeated stress of
body tissues and can often be associated
with faulty foot function and poor alignment
for example; Achilles tendonitis, plantar
fasciitis, shin splints, patello-femoral knee
pain, ilio-tibial band syndrome, hip pain and
low back pain…
A biomechanical examination of the foot
and lower limb can determine the ability of
the runner to withstand the trauma of running
and identify possible foot types and
structural problems which may become a
cause of pain and result in injury in
prolonged running.
Functional foot orthoses for your trainers
can be effective if a lower limb abnormality is
identified to reduce excess stress and strain
and possible overuse injury.



Cross trainers are ideal shoes for
running.
Wear the same socks that you intend to
run in for a proper fitting.
Buy your running shoes later on in the
day when your foot is at its widest.

Get your feet measured every time you
buy running shoes.

Change your running shoes after 350400 miles as the mid sole and the heel
begins to wear out and is less
supportive. The shoes can still be worn
for every day wear but are not suitable
enough for the stress of running.

Ensure you have a finger width length
from your great toe so that that you do
not damage your toes while running.

Check that you have strong laces and do
not fasten tightly or too loosely as this
can result in a loss of stability and over
pronation (flattening of the foot).

NEVER wear new running shoes for a
long race or marathon; always run at
least 100 miles in them before you run a
race.
SIGNS OF WEAR AND TEAR
Shoe wear on the outer area of the heel is
normal but excessive wear on the inner heel
should be checked out by a podiatrist.
The runner may have severe over pronation
(flat feet) which can lead to overuse injury.
Many short distance runners will show
increased forefoot wear as there is more
pressure being applied to this area. Too
much shoe wear on the outer area of the
forefoot and heel area can be a result of a
rarer foot type called over supination.
If you require this information in this
leaflet in a community language or
alternative format e.g. Braille, easy read,
audio please contact the Equality and
Human Rights Department at:
fife-UHB.EqualityandHumanRights@nhs.net or
phone 01383 565142
Please do not hesitate to contact your
nearest podiatry clinic should you have any
queries.