The GORUN Study: Gradual Onset of RUNning and Knee Joint Health in Novice Runners (GORUN)

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating disease affecting millions worldwide. Exercise is a core treatment for knee OA, and is advocated by all clinical guidelines. Running is a common exercise that is accessible and evokes a number of positive physical and psychological benefits. However, the appropriateness of recreational running in the presence of knee OA is unclear.

A growing literature base appears to suggest that running may not be deleterious to the health - especially at the knee joint - of people with knee OA. Our recent research has focused on examining a number of health outcomes relevant to knee OA in older individuals with knee OA, but has been limited to experienced runners. This study will address that limitation by focusing on how novice (new) runners respond to a new running program.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Osteoarthritis (OA) of the Knee
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Running volume increase

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 80
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Natasha Krowchuk, BSc; Phone Number: 604-822-7948; Email: natasha.krowchuk@ubc.ca

Study Locations

• Canada
  • British Columbia
    • Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z3
      • Motion Analysis and Biofeedback Laboratory, The University of British Columbia
      • Contact: Natasha Krowchuk, BSc; Phone Number: 604-822-7948; Email: natasha.krowchuk@ubc.ca
      • Principal Investigator: Michael A Hunt, PT, PhD
      • Sub-Investigator: Jean-Francois Esculier, PT, PhD
      • Sub-Investigator: Alexander Rauscher, PhD
      • Sub-Investigator: Jacqueline Whittaker, PT, PhD
      • Sub-Investigator: Jesse Charlton, PhD
      • Sub-Investigator: Justin Losciale, PT, PhD

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion criteria (all):

• have been running consistently for no more than six months at time of enrolment, with a cumulative weekly volume of less than 5 kilometres OR have yet to take up recreational running consistently
• are comfortable running and walking on a treadmill for at least 30 minutes

Inclusion criteria (knee osteoarthritis (OA) group):

• have definitive knee OA as diagnosed using x-rays
• report having experienced frequent knee pain over the past 3 months

Inclusion criteria (Control group):

• have no evidence of knee OA based on x-rays
• have had pain-free knees for at least the past 3 months

Exclusion Criteria (all):

• have an inflammatory arthritic condition (e.g. gout or rheumatoid arthritis)
• have a presence of any health condition (other than OA in the knee OA group) affecting normal movement or that precludes engaging in moderate to high impact activities such as running

Additionally, exclusion criteria based on MRI safety:

• cannot safely fit into the MRI scanner
• presence of metallic implants (including pace makers, brain aneurysm clips, stents, cochlear implants, artificial heart valves, and prostheses)
• recent surgery or tattoos within the past 6 weeks
• current or possible pregnancy
• electrical stimulator for nerves or bones
• infusion pumps
• shrapnel or other metallic fragments
• non-removable metallic jewellry

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Healthy control; Pain-free Individuals without radiographic evidence of knee osteoarthritis who will receive the running program intervention	Behavioral: Running volume increase; Participants will receive a 6-month running program focusing on gradual increases in weekly running volume (no more than 5% per week, on average). For the purpose of this study, there will be no specific instructions on 'how' to run; rather, participants will simply be instructed on 'how much' to run.
Active Comparator: Knee osteoarthritis group; Individuals with knee pain and radiographic evidence of knee osteoarthritis who will receive the running program intervention	Behavioral: Running volume increase; Participants will receive a 6-month running program focusing on gradual increases in weekly running volume (no more than 5% per week, on average). For the purpose of this study, there will be no specific instructions on 'how' to run; rather, participants will simply be instructed on 'how much' to run.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
T2 relaxation time - medial tibia	Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee cartilage will be used to measure the exponential decay/dephasing of transverse magnetization of protons, known as T2 relaxation time (measured in milliseconds). Cartilage will be segmented into a number of regions of interest, with relaxation times calculated separately for each region of interest.	Baseline and 6 months
T2 relaxation time - medial femur	Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee cartilage will be used to measure the exponential decay/dephasing of transverse magnetization of protons, known as T2 relaxation time (measured in milliseconds). Cartilage will be segmented into a number of regions of interest, with relaxation times calculated separately for each region of interest.	Baseline and 6 months
T2 relaxation time - patella	Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee cartilage will be used to measure the exponential decay/dephasing of transverse magnetization of protons, known as T2 relaxation time (measured in milliseconds). Cartilage will be segmented into a number of regions of interest, with relaxation times calculated separately for each region of interest.	Baseline and 6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
T1rho relaxation time - medial tibia	Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee cartilage will be used to assess the interaction between water and macromolecules. T1rho relaxation time (measured in milliseconds) measures how fast water protons spin-locked to macromolecules leave this locked state. Cartilage will be segmented into a number of regions of interest, with relaxation times calculated separately for each region of interest.	Baseline and 6 months
T1rho relaxation time - medial femur	Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee cartilage will be used to assess the interaction between water and macromolecules. T1rho relaxation time (measured in milliseconds) measures how fast water protons spin-locked to macromolecules leave this locked state. Cartilage will be segmented into a number of regions of interest, with relaxation times calculated separately for each region of interest.	Baseline and 6 months
T1rho relaxation time - patella	Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee cartilage will be used to assess the interaction between water and macromolecules. T1rho relaxation time (measured in milliseconds) measures how fast water protons spin-locked to macromolecules leave this locked state. Cartilage will be segmented into a number of regions of interest, with relaxation times calculated separately for each region of interest.	Baseline and 6 months
Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) - pain subscale	There are 9 questions in this subscale, with each question scored on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "None" to "Extreme". The total sum of this subscale is calculated and divided by the maximum score to generate a score out of 100. Subscale totals range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating less pain.	Baseline and 6 months
Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) - function in daily living subscale	There are 17 questions in this subscale, with each question scored on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "None" to "Extreme". The total sum of this subscale is calculated and divided by the maximum score to generate a score out of 100. Subscale totals range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating less pain.	Baseline and 6 months

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Numerical rating scale of pain	11-point numerical rating scale; 0 = no pain; 10 = worst pain imaginable	Baseline and 6 months
Knee joint contact force impulse during running	3D motion capture technology will be used to measure joint motion trajectories and external forces applied to the lower limb during running. Musculoskeletal modelling techniques will be used to calculate the contact force within the tibiofemoral joint.	Baseline and 6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of British Columbia
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Michael Hunt, PT, PhD, The University of British Columbia

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): May 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2030
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2030

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 28, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 7, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): April 14, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 14, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 7, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: exercise; running
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Musculoskeletal Diseases; Arthritis; Joint Diseases; Rheumatic Diseases; Behavior; Osteoarthritis; Motor Activity
• Other Study ID Numbers: H26-00511

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No