Runna’s academic review with Loughborough University covers three areas of its training logic: how plans progress pace and distance, how they distribute intensity, and how they build in recovery. These are the same three areas WSJ named in February as the mechanism behind a wave of Runna-related injuries reported by physical therapists.
WSJ reported that physical therapists were seeing multiple Runna-related injury cases a week, with stress fractures, shin splints and Achilles tendinopathy among the most common presentations. Runna responded at the time by adding features that let users dial back the intensity of their plans.
Dr Richard Blagrove, Reader in Applied Exercise Physiology and Athlete Performance at Loughborough’s School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, will lead the new review. He has published on strength and conditioning for endurance runners, on musculoskeletal training and injury prevention, and consults for national sporting bodies.
Blagrove said the partnership would build Loughborough’s research on training load, progression and recovery into training logic that Runna’s coaches have already developed. He called the combination of sports science and coaching expertise something generic AI training plans cannot replicate.
Steph Kessell, Runna’s Head Coach and a Tokyo 2020 Olympian, said Runna’s self-reported injury rate runs 43% below a 2015 Sports Medicine benchmark, per 1000 hours of training. No comparative peer-reviewed study has established how Runna’s injury rate compares with other training methods, and the figure is Runna’s own, measured against a study it hasn’t named.
Strava acquired Runna in April 2025 and continues to run it as a separate business. Strava announced its own research collaboration with Stanford Lifestyle Medicine and the Stanford FASTR programme on 30 June 2026, covering training, progression and recovery for its 195 million athletes. The Loughborough deal extends the same pattern to Runna, an academic review commissioned by a Strava-owned platform, arriving five months after the injury reporting that prompted Runna’s own intensity controls.
Quick answers
Is Runna owned by Strava?
Yes. Strava acquired Runna in April 2025 and continues to run it as a separate business.
Who is leading the Loughborough University review?
Dr Richard Blagrove, Reader in Applied Exercise Physiology and Athlete Performance at Loughborough’s School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences.
Has Runna been linked to running injuries?
WSJ reported in February 2026 that physical therapists were seeing multiple Runna-related injury cases a week, including stress fractures, shin splints and Achilles tendinopathy. No comparative peer-reviewed study has shown Runna users get injured at higher rates than runners using other training methods.
What will the Loughborough review cover?
How Runna’s training plans progress pace and distance, distribute intensity, and build in recovery, the same three areas linked to the injury reports, checked against current academic research on training load and injury prevention.
Last Updated on 25 August 2026 by the5krunner
My favourite kit and nutrition
- Injinji – Runners protect your toes. Avoid discomfort and minor injury. Run more. Run faster. I use them.
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter — A small keyring adapter you can use anywhere. Essential when away. I use one.
- Garmin charging puck — the fastest and most reliable way to top up your Garmin before a session. I use one.
- Ravemen FR300 — Front light that mounts directly under your Garmin or Wahoo head unit. Keeps your bars clean and your beam pointed where it matters. I use one.
- Body Glide – The blue anti-chafe stick that all swimmers and many runners use. I use it.
- Maurten — The race nutrition trusted by elite athletes. Gels and drink mixes engineered to be easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Garmin Varia RTL515 — A radar rear light that alerts you to vehicles approaching from behind. Pairs with your Edge or Wahoo. I use this model.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2 — The power-meter pedals most serious cyclists choose. Accurate, easy to move between bikes. I use this model.
- Garmin Forerunner 970 — A serious choice for a pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Polar H10 — My daily driver for accurate, waking HRV readings.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3 — The bike computer that has the feature Garmin lacks: usability. I use mine on most rides.
Reader-Powered Content
This content is not sponsored. It’s mostly me behind the labour of love, which is this site, and I appreciate everyone who supports it.
Support the site: Follow (free, fewer ads) · Subscribe (paid, ad-free) · Buy Me A Coffee ❤️
All articles are written by real people, fact-checked, and verified for originality. See the Editorial Policy. FTC: Affiliate Disclosure — some links pay commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. ID
