Return to run
Come back from injury without re-injuring
Most re-injuries happen in the first 6 weeks back. The single biggest cause is ramping volume too fast — ignoring the ACWR safe zone of 0.8–1.3. Pick your injury for an evidence-based return plan, or use the calculator below for a generic safe ramp.
Stress fracture
Bone needs to remodel. Walking → walk-run → easy run progression with pain-free criteria at each stage. The most unforgiving running injury for athletes who rush.
Runner's knee (patellofemoral pain)
Most common running injury. Usually no full layoff needed — load reduction plus quad and glute medius strength. Return-to-run criteria: pain-free walking + squat.
Plantar fasciitis
Foot heel pain, worst in the morning. Eccentric calf raises, plantar fascia stretching, supportive shoes. Most don't need full layoff — pain-monitored running can continue.
IT band syndrome
Sharp pain on the outside of the knee, worst on downhills. Stop running until pain-free, then return. Glute medius strength is the long-term fix.
ACWR safe-return calculator
If you don't know your injury or you're returning from a non-specific layoff (illness, travel, life), this is the generic safe ramp. It respects the ACWR ≤ 1.3 ceiling and ramps 10% per week.
Reprendre la course après un arrêt est le moment où les athlètes se blessent à nouveau le plus souvent. Le cadre ACWR (ratio charge aiguë:chronique) maintient la charge de la semaine sous le seuil de risque de blessure de 1,3. Saisissez vos données — nous générerons une remontée en charge prudente sur 8 semaines.
Ce que vous couriez par semaine avant l'arrêt.
Y compris la semaine de l'arrêt. 0 si vous avez couru cette semaine.
Votre remontée en charge sur 8 semaines
Courez uniquement à allure facile. Chaque footing commence et se termine par 5 minutes de marche. Si la douleur monte pendant ou après, répétez la semaine précédente — n'avancez pas.
| Semaine | Km totaux | Par footing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 km | 2 km/footing | Alternance marche-course ; très prudent. |
| 2 | 9 km | 2 km/footing | Alternance marche-course ; très prudent. |
| 3 | 10 km | 2 km/footing | Course continue à allure facile. |
| 4 | 11 km | 3 km/footing | Course continue à allure facile. |
| 5 | 12 km | 3 km/footing | On approche de la charge d'avant blessure. |
| 6 | 13 km | 3 km/footing | On approche de la charge d'avant blessure. |
| 7 | 14 km | 4 km/footing | On approche de la charge d'avant blessure. |
| 8 | 16 km | 4 km/footing | On approche de la charge d'avant blessure. |
Ce plan respecte le plafond ACWR ≤ 1,3. Si vous montez plus vite, le risque de récidive double dans la littérature publiée.
Related tools and reading
Want your return ramp adjusted to your real data?
SportPlan reads your HRV and prior load history — and adjusts the ramp when you're not recovering as expected. See your first week before you pay. €9.99/month, cancel anytime.
Educational content based on peer-reviewed sports-medicine literature. Not a substitute for in-person evaluation by a sports physician or physiotherapist. If pain persists, worsens, or shows red flags, seek professional care.
Methodology designed by Ramon Curto, MSc Exercise Physiology
Ramon Curto designed SportPlan's endurance-training methodology from exercise-physiology principles. SportPlan applies it autonomously to the information you enter and the data you choose to connect; it is not ongoing one-to-one coaching or medical care.
Last revised July 2026
- MSc Exercise Physiology
- Endurance-training methodology
- Connected training-data analysis
- Block periodization · Polarized training