Ultra Running and Long Term Damage

I have not been following the ultra running world for too long (although the ultra/trail bug bit me a while ago) but a question/concern I have often read about (though usually asked by people outside the ultra world) is if running ultra distances (i.e. more than 26.2 miles) could cause permanent damage to your body, beyond one-off the injuries or pain after a particular tough race or training. Coach Dean Herbert posted about this on www.running-advice.com. Although there are no links to any of his sources, he points out a few studies on this subject. As he also mentions, there doesn’t seem to be much research done on this field and so conclusions can’t be generalized. All in all, he concludes “you will not be causing permanent damage to your body by running ultramarathons”, although he advises to listen to your body and take reasonable precautions to stay out of trouble.

I haven’t found myself much literature or studies on the subject so if any of the ultra runners out there has more information and wants to share it, it will be much appreciated!

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