Hip pain after running most often comes from the gluteal tendons on the outside of the hip, the hip flexors at the front, or the joint itself through impingement or a labral tear, which tends to show up as groin pain. A deep groin ache that builds run after run and starts to hurt with walking is different: it can be a bone stress injury and needs a medical check before more running. For the rest, an independent physical therapist near Carmel can find the source and adjust your training.
Last reviewed By the Monon Therapy Collective editorial team
- Outer hip
- Often gluteal tendon or bursa irritation
- Groin
- Joint, labrum, or bone stress: get it checked
- Questionnaire area
- Hip
Where is the hip pain after a run: outside, front, groin or buttock?
Location is the first sorting step for runners. Pain on the bony point of the outer hip that is sore lying on that side at night usually involves the gluteal tendons and bursa; AAOS OrthoInfo lists running and stair climbing among the activities that aggravate it. Pain at the front crease often belongs to the hip flexors.
Pain deep in the groin, especially sharp pain with turning, twisting or squatting, points toward the hip joint, where OrthoInfo describes impingement and the labral tears it can cause. Pain right at the sit bone at the bottom of the buttock, worse with uphill running and sitting, suggests the hamstring tendon.
Which running injuries cause hip pain, and how do they behave?
The table summarizes the common causes. Runners often have more than one at once, such as tendon pain driven by a stiff joint.
| Possible cause | What it tends to feel like | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Gluteal tendon or bursa irritation | Ache on the outer hip after runs, sore lying on that side | Hip bursitis |
| Hip flexor strain | Pain at the front crease with fast running or lifting the knee | Hip flexor strain |
| Impingement or labral tear | Groin pain, catching or clicking, worse with long sitting and deep bending | Hip impingement |
| Bone stress injury | Deep groin or thigh ache that worsens each run, then with walking or at night | Stress fracture |
| High hamstring tendinopathy | Pain at the sit bone, worse uphill and when sitting on hard chairs | High hamstring tendinopathy |
Could hip pain after running be a stress fracture?
It can, and that is the cause not to run through. AAOS OrthoInfo explains that bone stress injuries follow a rapid increase in activity, are often seen three to four weeks after starting a new routine or a new season, and that pain starts at the end of activity, then appears during walking and can ache at night.
A groin or deep thigh ache that matches that story, particularly with a recent mileage jump, eating too little for your training (OrthoInfo calls this relative energy deficiency in sport), low vitamin D, or a previous bone stress injury, needs a physician and usually imaging before more running. Hip bone stress injuries can be serious if loaded too early. A therapist who suspects one will stop the running plan and refer you the same day.
What can a runner check before booking a hip assessment?
Use these to describe the problem. They are not tests that rule anything in or out.
- Does it hurt to hop gently on that leg? If yes, stop running and see a doctor.
- Write down weekly mileage for the last six weeks, including any jump.
- Is it sore lying on that side at night?
- Does sitting in a low car seat or a long meeting make the groin ache?
- Note your race goal and date, such as the Carmel Marathon in April or the Indy Mini in May.
How does a therapist get a runner with hip pain back on the trail?
A therapist examines hip range and strength, palpates the tendons, runs impingement and labral tests, checks single-leg control, and asks detailed questions about training load. Some also look at running mechanics on a treadmill. The aim is to match the plan to the tissue that is overloaded, rather than a generic stretch list.
Plans usually keep you running in some form: shorter or flatter loops on the Monon Trail, fewer back-to-back long runs, and a strength block for the gluteal muscles and hip flexors. The return to running walk-run plan shows how runs are rebuilt. Start with the hip questionnaire, or read about running injury physical therapy.
Stop running and get a medical check for hip pain if
- Hopping on the painful leg hurts, or walking now hurts after runs.
- A deep groin ache is getting worse run by run or aches at night.
- You cannot bear weight or you limp after stopping.
- Hip pain comes with fever or feeling unwell.
- You have had a stress fracture before, or have low bone density.
If you think it is an emergency, call 911.
