Running is a great way to burn calories, lose those extra pounds, and relieve stress. You can do it on your own, with friends or even join a club. All you really need to get started is a pair of trainers.  You can wear anything but it is advisable to wear something comfortable and if running at night something white or bright or with reflective materials so you can be seen easily, by cars other runners and cyclists.

Before you start to run, it is always good to plan your route, as the last thing you want to do is get lost. If you are running alone it is best to run where a lot of other people will be. Remember to take an ID or a have a bracelet with your emergency details on.

When running on the roads or pathways make sure you keep an eye out for lumps / cracks in the pathway / road or potholes, one of the most common injuries faced by a runner is twisting their ankle, or tripping due to potholes.

There are many hazards all around, which also include low branches, people with dogs on those extendable leads or as a lot of runners call them trip wires.  Dogs are also renown for chasing runners and can even try to bite their ankles.

Children are also very unpredictable and if running in parks can often be over-excited and launch a ball at you or be running to catch something and not look where they are going.

Do not make any assumptions about people seeing you, people driving cars will often have music on or be listening to the radio and will be watching for other motorists so may miss you.


Other hazards can be other runners or cyclists, so be aware to avoid collisions.  Whether you listen to music whilst running - this is something which you will need to decide. Listening to music is a distraction, people get lost in their music and can quite easily be oblivious to what is going on around them. This could mean you are in fact losing one of your senses, your hearing. You may miss people coming up from behind you, cars, cycle bells, or people shouting to warn you of something.

A study by the AA suggests that people listening to music on IPods, mp3 players or other music devices could be a factor in hundreds of death and thousands of injuries every year. Therefore if you are running on the roads and not in a park it may be an idea to avoid the music. In some races they have also banned the use of listening to your mp3 or iPod as you can not hear the other runners approaching and can cause collisions.

A recent article in the Guardian stated that music is a legal drug for athletes according to Dr Costas Karageorghis who is an expert on the effects of music on exercise at the Brunel University. In his latest book "Inside Sports Psychology" he claims that listening to music while running can boost your performance by 15%.

So go buy some trainers and join the masses of runners, it is cheap exercise and fun to do on your own or with friends. If you are unlikely enough to be injured and it is as a result of someone else negligence, we are always happy to help.          




For further information or advice please contact David Chilcott, an Associate of the Institute of Legal Executives in our Personal Injury team, on 02380 857 332 or at david.chilcott@bllaw.co.uk.