World Triathlon Corporation
09/23/2026 | Press release | Archived content
5 Tips To Sidestep Plantar Fasciitis
The Short Version
Plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the tissue connecting your heel to your toes, hits about 10 percent of runners, usually when they ramp up mileage or pace too fast. The tell is sharp heel pain in your first steps out of bed. To prevent it: warm up with dynamic stretches, wear shoes with real arch support, do not ignore early heel pain, keep to a healthy body weight, and ease off hills if symptoms start. Catch it early; left alone, it can stop you running altogether, and the fixes get more involved the longer you wait.
Emily S. saw the IRONMAN 70.3 as her next challenge. She had completed a number of sprint and Olympic-distance races, but moving up was going to be a big step. She targeted an IRONMAN 70.3 three months out and started to ramp up her run training.
Then Emily began to notice pain on the bottom of her heel. She thought it would resolve on its own, but when it persisted, she had it checked by Dr. Alysia Robichau at the IRONMAN Sports Medicine Institute in The Woodlands, TX. By the time she saw the doctor, she could not run. As she starts a run, she explains, she gets arch pain, but the real killer is those first few steps out of bed in the morning. "It's like somebody is driving a screwdriver into my foot!"
"This is not an uncommon scenario for these athletes," says Dr. Robichau. "They want to move up in distance, maybe quicken their pace for a known distance, but push it a little too much, and they end up here."
What Plantar Fasciitis Is (And How It's Treated)
About 10 percent of runners get plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the thick band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes. Dr. Robichau has cared for hundreds of athletes with it, and for most her advice is the same: "You need to back off training, employ a home exercise program, ice, massage, and have a good check of shoe fit." A gait analysis to look at your running mechanics can help too. Often an over-the-counter arch support and ibuprofen are of benefit (with clearance from a medical provider). Athletic tape such as Leukotape on the sole can act much like a second plantar fascia. In more advanced cases, patients are treated with night splints and ultrasound, and there may even be a need to consider a corticosteroid injection.
5 Tips To Sidestep Plantar Fasciitis
1. Don't Cut The Warm-Up Short
Particularly as you get older, warm up well. Save most static stretching for after the workout, but do dynamic stretching before: light jogging, high-knee strides, butt kicks, grapevine running, backwards running, and the like to gradually get the muscles moving. Stair steps, squats, and step-ups all help the limbering-up process.
2. Wear Shoes With Reasonable Arch Support
Good arch support buttresses the plantar fascia and takes load off it.
3. Don't Blow Off Early Heel Pain
If you start to feel heel pain, do not assume it will resolve on its own. Back off hill running and hill repeats for a while, stick to flat surfaces, and stay off the trails short term. After running, try the Mayo Clinic's stretches. Stand about an arm's length from a wall, feet flat on the floor and relaxed, and lean into the wall; hold for 30 seconds. Then stand on a curb facing away from the street, rest the middle of the affected foot on the edge with your heel extending beyond it, keep the healthy foot fully on the sidewalk for stability, and slowly lower your heel to stretch the Achilles and calf; hold for 20 to 30 seconds and repeat three times.
4. Stay At A Healthy Body Weight For You
Body weight has been shown to correlate with heel issues, so keeping to a healthy weight for you reduces the load on the plantar fascia.
5. When Symptoms Flare, Skip The Stairs
We are always looking for a little bonus training in the day, but if you are having plantar fasciitis symptoms, avoid the stairs and treat yourself to a ride in the elevator while you recover.
Many of us do the dance with plantar fasciitis, but addressing it early gives the best shot at limiting its severity and duration. For the bigger picture on staying healthy, see our guide to common running injuries.
This article shares general guidance and one athlete's experience, not personalized medical advice. Treatments like ibuprofen, taping, or a corticosteroid injection should only be pursued with a qualified medical provider. If heel or foot pain is severe, persistent, or stops you running, see a sports medicine professional.
Healthy And Ready To Race?
Frequently Asked Questions
Warm up properly with dynamic stretching before you run (save static stretching for after), wear shoes with reasonable arch support, do not ignore early heel pain, keep to a healthy body weight for you, and ease off hills if symptoms start. Ramping up mileage or pace too fast is the most common trigger, so build gradually.
Classic signs are pain on the bottom of the heel and arch pain as you start running, but the giveaway is sharp heel pain in your first few steps out of bed in the morning. Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the thick band of tissue connecting the heel bone to the toes, and it affects about 10 percent of runners.
Two Mayo Clinic stretches help. Stand about an arm's length from a wall, feet flat and relaxed, and lean into it, holding for 30 seconds. Then stand on a curb facing away from the street with the middle of the affected foot on the edge and the heel out beyond it, and slowly lower the heel to stretch the calf and Achilles, holding 20 to 30 seconds, three times.
Physicians typically advise backing off training, a home exercise program, ice, massage, and a good check of shoe fit, sometimes with a gait analysis. Over-the-counter arch supports and ibuprofen can help with a medical provider's clearance, and taping (such as Leukotape) can support the sole. Advanced cases may involve night splints, ultrasound, or a corticosteroid injection.
Do not push through it. Untreated, it can progress to the point where you cannot run at all. If heel pain starts, ease off hills, stick to flat surfaces, add the stretches, and get it checked early; addressing it early gives the best shot at limiting its severity and duration.
World Triathlon Corporation published this content on September 23, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 05, 2026 at 06:35 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]