Your hamstring, the muscle at the back of your thigh, has started aching on runs, especially with faster efforts or hills. It might have come on suddenly during a sprint, or built up gradually as a deep ache near your sitting bone. Knowing which you have can help you choose the right next steps.

A sudden pull or a gradual ache

Hamstring pain in runners tends to come in two forms:

• A sudden pull. A sharp pain at the back of the thigh, often during a sprint or fast finish. This is usually a strain of the muscle.
• A gradual ache near the sitting bone. Deep pain in the buttock, often worse with hills, speed work and sitting. This usually involves the tendon where the hamstrings attach.

Both tend to settle with time and gradual loading, but they need slightly different handling. In most cases, the area is irritated rather than badly damaged.

Easing off speed work and hills

Speed work and hills ask the most of your hamstrings. While things settle:

• Keep runs at an easy, conversational pace.
• Leave out sprints, strides and fast finishes.
• Choose flat routes, rather than hills.
• Take slightly shorter steps, which can ease the load.

If the pain came on suddenly, short walks and easy jogging may be all that feels comfortable for a while.

If the ache is near your sitting bone

Some ideas:

• Avoid deep hamstring stretches, as these can press on the tendon where it attaches.
• Sit on a cushion and get up every 30 minutes or so.
• Avoid steep uphill running for now, as it loads this area most.

Gradual hamstring loading

Building hamstring strength tends to help both types of pain. Something like this tends to work well:

• Holds. Bridge holds with your feet a little away from your bottom, for 20 to 30 seconds.
• Bridges. Lift your hips and lower slowly, progressing to single-leg bridges.
• Hamstring bridges. Move your feet further away, then lift your hips.
• Nordic curls. Once the earlier stages feel easy, kneel with your ankles held by a partner or tucked under something heavy and stable, and slowly lower your body forward.

Research has found that adding the Nordic hamstring exercise to regular training was linked with around half as many hamstring injuries. It is a demanding exercise, so building up to it gradually matters.

If you would like to follow along, VIDA has short videos of bridges and lunges you can use at your own pace.

Reading how your hamstring responds

A simple guide:

• Pain during a run stays mild and does not build as you go.
• Any extra soreness has settled by the next morning.
• Pain is not creeping up from week to week.

If these are not holding, ease back a little rather than stopping.

Building back speed and hills

When easy running feels comfortable, you can start bringing back speed and hills. Something like this:

• Add a few short strides at the end of an easy run, at about 70% effort.
• Gradually build the speed of these strides over several weeks.
• Add gentle hills, then steeper ones.
• Bring back full speed sessions last.

Change only one thing at a time, and check how your hamstring feels the next morning.

Keeping your fitness up

If running is uncomfortable for a while, cycling, swimming or using a cross-trainer can keep your fitness up. Cycling is often comfortable with hamstring pain, though a slightly higher saddle may help if the ache is near your sitting bone.

Warming up

A thorough warm-up helps your hamstring feel ready, especially before faster runs. Easy jogging, leg swings and a few gentle bridges can ease you in.

Building back up

A sudden pull often settles over a few weeks with gradual loading. Pain near the sitting bone that has been around for a while usually improves over months rather than weeks. Your VIDA pain check-in is a good way to keep track of how your hamstring responds.

What to take away

• Hamstring pain can be a sudden pull or a gradual ache near the sitting bone.
• Ease off speed work and hills while things settle.
• Avoid deep stretches if the pain is near your sitting bone.
• Build hamstring strength from holds to bridges to Nordic curls.
• Bring back speed and hills gradually, one at a time.

‍