Track and field is often viewed as a simple sport where athletes run, jump or throw. But the physical and mental demands of the sport place significant strain on the body, making injuries a common and often unavoidable part of competition.
According to Nya Busy, a former college track athlete and current Beachwood track coach, the type of injury an athlete experiences depends on the event they compete in.
“Each event uses different muscle groups,” Busy said. “Sprinters deal mostly with hamstrings, hurdlers with ankles and hamstrings, distance runners with hips, throwers with shoulders and jumpers with back and knee injuries.”
Busy said her own injury experiences shaped how she now approaches coaching. She recalled dealing with a sports hernia that took months to heal and still requires careful management.
“It made me super nervous,” she said. “Your core is huge in running because it stabilizes the pelvis and helps you stay upright and tall.”
Medical professionals see similar patterns across programs. Athletic trainer Helen Hayes said most track injuries develop over time rather than from one single incident.
“Overuse injuries are the most common,” Hayes said. “Shin splints, stress reactions or fractures, knee pain, Achilles tendon issues and hamstring strains show up the most.”
Both Busy and Hayes emphasized that poor recovery habits often increase injury risk, particularly among younger athletes.
“Sleep is a big one,” Busy said. “A lot of kids don’t realize how much recovery depends on sleep, hydration and nutrition.”
She also pointed to worn out shoes, hard training surfaces and excessive weekly training volume as contributing factors. Without proper rest, the body does not have sufficient time to repair itself.
According to the American Heart Association, proper warm ups and cool downs play a key role in injury prevention. Warming up increases muscle elasticity and prepares the body for intense movement, while cooling down helps regulate the nervous system and return the body to a normal state.
Recovery timelines vary widely depending on the athlete and available resources. Busy noted that high school athletes often take longer to return due to limited access to cross training and recovery equipment, while college athletes benefit from full time trainers and advanced treatment options.
While prevention is critical, injuries still occur and when they do, they can have lasting physical and mental effects.
That reality is reflected in the experience of Levi Turell, a graduated runner who tore his ACL during the summer.
“I landed awkwardly and felt a sharp pain right away,” Turell said. “Even though nothing looked wrong at first, walking was extremely painful.”
The injury immediately affected his strength and speed, leading to a long and challenging recovery process.
“My confidence dropped fast,” Turell said. “I was running times I hadn’t run since my freshman year.”
Despite the setback, Turell said the experience changed how he approached training and recovery, teaching him patience and discipline.
“It’s not the end,” Turell said. “The hardest part is getting your confidence back. But if you trust the process and lean on your teammates, you can make it through even when it feels like the tunnel ahead is dark.”
As athletes continue to push their limits, coaches and medical professionals stress that staying healthy requires more than talent or effort. It requires listening to your body, building strong habits early, and understanding that recovery is just as important as training.
