Track and Field Injuries: Prevention, Pole Vault Safety and When to See a Pro

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The 100 meter final, 60 meters in. A sprinter who was flying a stride ago suddenly pulls up, hand on the back of the thigh, and hops to a stop while the field rushes past. Every track fan has seen it, from a Tuesday dual meet to the Olympic final. Track and field is many sports under one roof, and each event has its own injury pattern. This page walks through the big ones, event by event: what they feel like, what the research says lowers the risk, and the warning signs that mean “stop and get it checked”. It’s for every level, from middle school to masters and pros.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you’re hurt, see a sports medicine doctor, physical therapist (PT) or certified athletic trainer (AT). For the bigger picture of the sport, start at our track and field hub. Road and trail running injuries (runner’s knee, IT band, plantar fasciitis) are covered on our running injuries page.

Which track and field events cause the most injuries?

Injury rates depend heavily on the event. World Athletics’ medical team has tracked every new injury at international championships since 2007. Across 14 championships (2007–2018), sprints produced the largest share of injuries for both men (24%) and women (26%). Per 1,000 registered athletes, combined events (decathlon and heptathlon) had the highest rates and throwers among the lowest. Thigh muscle injuries were the main diagnosis in sprints, hurdles, jumps and combined events; trunk and lower-leg muscle injuries led in the throws. Inside the decathlon, the pole vault and high jump had the highest injury rates; in the heptathlon, the long jump.

High school looks similar. A 2026 study of US high school track running events (2008–2019 surveillance data) found muscle strains were the most common injury (42.2%), the thigh the most common site (35.1%), and injury rates about twice as high in competition as in practice. Sprints had the most injuries, then distance, then hurdles. Concussions were most common in the hurdles, tendinitis in middle and long distance, and avulsion injuries (a tendon pulling off a piece of bone) in the sprints.

Hamstring strains in sprinters and jumpers

The hamstring is the signature track injury. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) describes the typical story: a sudden, sharp pain in the back of the thigh during a sprint, often with swelling within hours and bruising later. Among 357 athletes at the 2018 European Athletics Championships, 48% had had at least one hamstring injury in their career and 24% in the previous season alone. Risk also climbs when it matters most: across eight international championships (2009–2022), muscle and hamstring injury rates in the 100 m were higher in finals than in heats and semi-finals.

The strongest risk factor, a 2024 review of hamstring injuries in athletics concludes, is a previous hamstring injury, especially soon after returning to sport. What lowers the risk:

• Nordic hamstring exercise: a 2019 meta-analysis of 8,459 athletes found programs that include Nordics cut hamstring injuries by up to 51%.
• Regular high-speed running: sprinters already do it; for jumpers, throwers and athletes coming back from a layoff, building back up to top speed gradually matters.
• Core (lumbo-pelvic) stability work: in the European Championships study, athletes who did more of it had lower odds of a hamstring injury during the championships, an association worth noting though not proof of cause.

A sudden “pop”, heavy bruising, or a hamstring injury near the sitting bone (where avulsions happen) needs a doctor quickly, since some of these injuries are time-sensitive.

Achilles tendon problems

Sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers load the Achilles hard on every push-off and take-off. AAOS lists the usual triggers for Achilles tendinitis: a sudden increase in training (think the first weeks of spike work or plyometrics) and tight calf muscles. Symptoms are pain and stiffness along the back of the heel, often worst in the morning or at the start of a session. AAOS warns that a sudden pop at the back of the heel or calf can mean a rupture, which needs prompt medical care.

Shin splints and stress fractures

Pain along the inner edge of the shinbone usually follows a sudden jump in training, says AAOS: more days, longer sessions, harder surfaces. If it doesn’t settle, a doctor may look for a stress fracture, a small crack from repeated loading. AAOS lists risk factors including too little sleep, no rest days, low bone density and low vitamin D, and is blunt: don’t try to train through the pain. At 24 international championships with more than 29,000 athletes, bone stress injuries were mostly in the foot (50%) and leg (33%), and they showed up in explosive events (sprints, jumps) almost as often as in endurance events. Not eating enough for the training load raises the risk too; see track and field nutrition.

Jumper’s knee (patellar tendinitis)

Pain just below the kneecap that flares with jumping, bounding and deep squats is often patellar tendinitis, which AAOS notes is “often referred to as ‘jumper’s knee’” and is most common in running and jumping sports. Long, triple and high jumpers are classic candidates. AAOS also notes that an inflamed tendon is a weaker one. Exercise-based rehab is the usual first approach, although a 2025 Cochrane review found the evidence for specific exercise programs is still low in certainty, so a PT’s individual plan matters. Many jumpers wear a patellar strap such as the Cho-Pat Original Knee Strap or a sleeve like the Bauerfeind GenuTrain for comfort; neither replaces rehab, so ask your PT.

Throwers’ shoulder and elbow

AAOS includes shot put and javelin among the sports behind throwing injuries of the shoulder (rotator cuff irritation, labral tears, instability) and elbow. The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) on the inside of the elbow is, in AAOS’s words, “the most commonly injured ligament in throwers”, and a 2025 review called UCL injuries common among javelin throwers. Warning signs AAOS lists: pain on the inside of the elbow, pain that limits throwing, numbness or tingling into the forearm or hand, and pain that persists even at rest. In the shoulder: deep pain, a catching or locking feeling, or lost power. The championship data above also found trunk muscle injuries common in the throws.

AAOS’s prevention advice for throwers is simple: proper conditioning, technique and recovery time, plus shoulder-blade and upper-back strength and core work. Throwing with pain or fatigue is when injury rates are highest.

Pole vault safety and head injuries

The pole vault is the one event where a fall from height is part of the sport, and it has a serious safety history. A study of US catastrophic pole vault injuries found that after 2003 rule changes enlarged the landing pads, fatalities fell from about 1.0 to 0.22 per year. But injuries from landing in or around the vault box (the planting box in front of the pit) more than tripled over the decade and made up 74% of catastrophic injuries from 2003 to 2011. Most were head injuries. A 2025 study of 1,012 vaulters and 6,751 attempts at a national indoor meet found the landing injury rate was low (0.12%), and every injury happened to a less experienced vaulter; none happened with good landing mechanics.

• Equipment rules: as of 2026, NFHS and NCAA rules (and USATF for youth vaulters) require a padded box collar meeting the ASTM standard, and every rulebook sets minimum landing-pad sizes (for NFHS, 5 × 6 m behind the box). National high school rules allow, but don’t require, a helmet; if one is worn, it must meet the ASTM pole vault helmet standard (F2400). Check your state association.
• Right pole: vaulters should use a pole rated for their body weight, as recommended by the maker and their coach.
• Coaching first: learn take-off and landing with a qualified coach before raising the bar or grip.

Concussion: recognize it and remove the athlete

Concussions in track come from hurdle falls, pole vault landings, being hit by an implement and collisions in warm-up areas. The CDC’s HEADS UP rule applies: if you think an athlete may have a concussion, remove them from activity, “when in doubt, sit them out”, for the rest of the day and until a health care provider clears them. Signs include looking dazed, slow answers, clumsiness, headache, dizziness, nausea, blurry vision and sensitivity to light or noise. Call 911 for one pupil larger than the other, a worsening headache, slurred speech, weakness or numbness, repeated vomiting, seizures, increasing confusion or loss of consciousness. The CDC describes a gradual, step-by-step return to sport, and the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) says there is no same-day return to play after a diagnosed concussion.

Throwing areas: stay out of the throwing sector, never cross it during warm-ups, and only throw when the sector is clear.

Does injury prevention work in track and field?

Yes, though the research is smaller than in soccer. A 2025 meta-analysis of randomized trials in track and field athletes found that exercise-based programs (strength, neuromuscular training, gait retraining, conditioning) reduced injuries by about 7.6 per 1,000 hours of training in the pooled studies. A broader 2018 meta-analysis across sports found strength training cut sports injuries to about one-third. How to fit Nordics, plyometrics and lifting into a track week is on our track and field training page.

Gear many track athletes use for prevention work

Nothing here prevents injuries on its own. Many sprinters and jumpers keep a NordStick strap for Nordic curls without a partner, a foam roller like the TriggerPoint GRID for warm-ups, and a patellar strap in the bag. Ask your PT or athletic trainer what suits your event and history.

For more choices, see our guides to the best knee sleeves and best knee braces for running.

When to see a sports medicine doctor, PT or athletic trainer

• Right away (emergency): any concussion danger sign, a vault landing on the box or runway with head, neck or back pain, a possible broken bone, or numbness and tingling.
• Within a day or two: a sudden muscle injury that stopped you mid-race, a pop at the heel or calf, heavy bruising high on the hamstring, or elbow pain with numbness in the hand.
• Soon: pain in one spot of the shin or foot that hurts when walking or at night, knee pain that keeps returning with jumping, or a throwing arm that has lost power.

Return is a process, not a date: a typical plan steps from jogging to strides, to spikes and full sprints or approaches, then to competition, only when each step causes no pain. Let the person treating you sign off. Meanwhile, see track and field recovery, and compare with soccer injuries for more on hamstring prevention.

Track and field injuries: FAQs

What is the most common injury in track and field?

Muscle strains, especially of the thigh. In US high school track running events, strains made up 42.2% of injuries, and at international championships thigh muscle injuries were the main diagnosis in sprints, hurdles, jumps and combined events.

Why do sprinters pull hamstrings so often?

Top-speed running puts very high demands on the hamstrings as they slow the leg before each foot strike. Previous injury is the biggest risk factor. Nordic hamstring exercises and gradual exposure to high-speed running are the best-studied ways to lower the risk.

Do pole vaulters have to wear a helmet?

Under national high school (NFHS) rules, helmets are allowed but not required, and any helmet worn must meet the ASTM pole vault helmet standard. Some programs and states set their own policies, so check with your coach and state association.

Can I keep training with shin pain?

Not if it’s sharp, in one spot, or hurts when walking or at night. AAOS says not to train through stress fracture pain. See a doctor; a stress fracture caught early is usually a much shorter setback.

What are the warning signs of a thrower’s elbow injury?

AAOS lists pain on the inside of the elbow, pain during or after throwing that limits you, lost power, and numbness or tingling in the forearm or hand. Pain that persists at rest is a reason to see a sports medicine doctor.