New! Online Course
Clinical Running Essentials
Taught by Chris Johnson, PT
📖 100% Online, Self-Paced Course
🏅 Approved for 20 CEUs for PTs (details below)
🔄 Lifetime Access
Confidently treat runners with bone stress injuries, lower limb tendinopathy, and movement dysfunction using proven strategies for assessment, rehab, and performance.
Designed for clinicians working with runners or eager to expand into running-related care, this course distills 20+ years of clinical expertise into a clear, evidence-based approach, eliminating guesswork and improving clinical decision-making.
A note from Chris:
Early in my career, I assumed my clinical education had fully prepared me to treat runners.
After all, I understood biomechanics, tissue loading, and rehabilitation principles. But once I started working with runners in practice, I quickly realized something was missing.
Runners weren’t responding the way I expected. Some injuries kept coming back. Others worsened despite following “best practices.”
I saw bone stress injuries that were initially (dis)missed, tendinopathies that didn’t improve, and runners eager to return to training before they had fully restored tissue capacity.
I started asking myself: What am I missing?
That question led me down a path of deeper study, hands-on experience, and learning from some of the best in sports medicine.
Over the past 20 years, I’ve worked as a clinical research assistant at NISMAT, collaborated with top surgeons, coached endurance athletes, and competed in marathons and Ironmans.
Through all of it, I developed a clearer, more structured approach to running injuries—one that bridges the gaps I didn’t even know existed when I started.
I refined an approach that integrates:
✔ Identifying injury patterns unique to runners before they become chronic
✔ Using objective performance tests to ensure actual return-to-run readiness
✔ Applying progressive loading principles that work in practice
✔ Communicating effectively with runners to improve adherence and long-term outcomes
That’s why I created Clinical Running Essentials.
This course isn’t about learning protocols or a specific system—it’s about ensuring that clinicians treating runners have a strong foundation in the essentials.
It’s the knowledge I wish I had earlier in my career, structured in a way that makes it easy to absorb and apply.
By completing this course, you’ll cover all critical areas of running injury management, refine your clinical reasoning, and provide better care for runners—so they can return to the sport they love with confidence.
Earn CEUs by taking Clinical Running Essentials online
Clinical Running Essentials is approved for CEUs for Physical Therapists in CA, NY, and TX and recognized by most other state PT boards.
States in blue on the map are approved, and you can find written details in the table below.
- FL, HI, LA, MN, OK, and WV, which require separate approval.
- Washington, DC typically accepts these approvals but may have additional requirements.
Who this course was designed for:
Clinical Running Essentials is designed for clinicians who work with runners or wish to expand their expertise in treating running-related injuries.
It provides a structured, research-supported approach to managing the most critical conditions encountered in endurance athletes.
This course is most relevant for:
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- Physical Therapists
- Chiropractors
- Athletic Trainers
- Medical Doctors & Orthopedists
- Coaches & Strength Professionals
If you work with runners recovering from injury, experiencing persistent pain, or optimizing performance, this course ensures you are thoroughly equipped to address their needs.
What You’ll Gain from taking Clinical Running Essentials
This course gives you the exact knowledge, skills, and tools to confidently assess and manage runners at every stage—from injury to peak performance.
Topics include:
🦴 Bone Stress Injuries – Detect early signs, understand imaging, and apply risk models to prevent mismanagement and ensure safe recovery.
🔹 Lower Limb Tendinopathies – Assess and treat Achilles, patellar, glute med, and proximal hamstring tendinopathies with progressive loading and return-to-run protocols in the context of the bio-psycho-social model.
📊 Physical Performance Testing – Use structured assessments to test tissue capacity specific to the performance demands of running while ensuring full readiness for return to sport.
🧠 Communication & Behavior Change – Use motivational interviewing and educational strategies to improve alliance, foster autonomy, and enhance rehab engagement.
🏋️♂️ Strength & Control Drills – Restore capacity through a combination of progressive loading as well as power and plyometric drills while implementing motor control strategies to enhance running economy, reduce injury risk, and improve movement efficiency.
📈 Return-to-Run Programming – Use criteria-based progressions to guide runners back to training with objective checkpoints and benchmarks to prevent re-injury.
📏 Orthopedic & Clinical Examination – Apply evidence-based assessments to evaluate runners’ joint integrity, soft tissue health, and functional movement.
👟 Running Biomechanics – Develop a structured approach to gait analysis, load management, and movement optimization.
💡 Case Studies & Clinical Applications – Refine diagnostic and treatment skills with real-world runner case studies for seamless clinical application.
This course eliminates the uncertainty of working with runners, giving you the structured, proven tools to help your patients recover, stay injury-free, and perform at their highest level.
Course Overview
Description
Running is one of the most accessible and beneficial forms of exercise, yet it has a high risk and incidence of lower extremity injuries. Research shows that nearly 80% of runners sustain an injury each year, often due to overuse-related conditions, frequently resulting in bone stress injuries, tendinopathies, and fasciopathies.
When not correctly identified and managed, these injuries can become chronic, delaying return to sport for weeks, months, or even years. In severe cases, mismanagement can lead to long-term impairments that impact athletic longevity and overall health.
Clinicians treating runners must understand the sport’s unique biomechanical and performance demands, the pathophysiology of common injuries, and evidence-based rehabilitation strategies.
This course provides a structured, research-driven approach to help clinicians accurately assess, manage, and guide runners out of the medical system and back to pain-free, sustainable training.
Learning Objectives
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- Introduce and apply the fundamentals of motivational interviewing, therapeutic alliance, and the common factors model to enhance communication and rapport with endurance athletes.
- Conduct a comprehensive subjective assessment, asking critical run-centric questions to evaluate general health, well-being, and relative risk for bone stress injuries (BSIs) and adverse life events.
- Screen for low energy availability and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) and apply strategies to sensitively discuss topics such as nutrition, menstrual health, and libido.
- Describe the biomechanics, EMG patterns, kinematics, and kinetics of walking and running, highlighting key differences between these forms of locomotion.
- Differentiate common running strike patterns and analyze their implications for injury risk and performance.
- Conduct a comprehensive treadmill gait analysis using “The S’s of Treadmill Running Analysis” and implement targeted gait retraining interventions as needed.
- Explain the incidence, risk factors, and regional patterns of running-related injuries (RRIs).
- Identify injury severity and primary drivers while screening for red flags and categorizing RRIs using the Modified Wilk Scale.
- Differentiate between high-risk and low-risk BSIs, applying this knowledge to guide decisions on weight-bearing, unloading, and progression through rehab.
- Select and administer key physical performance tests (PPTs) to screen for soft tissue injuries, assess for BSIs, and establish baseline capacity.
- Introduce and apply The Table Torsion Test™ to enhance clinical decision-making related to manual therapy and exercise prescription.
- Determine when imaging is appropriate for lower limb tendinopathy and BSIs, selecting the appropriate modality based on the region and tissue involved.
- Apply principles of mechanotransduction and targeted tissue loading/unloading for muscle, tendon, and bone when designing rehab and performance programs.
- Develop individualized programs using “The Ls of Loading” based on performance test findings and clinical presentation.
- Demonstrate and cue running mastery drills and progressive functional exercises incorporating neuromotor control, strength, plyometrics, and compound movements.
- Design and implement graded return-to-run programs for runners recovering from tendinopathy or BSIs, including considerations for footwear and training load management.
- Understand bone modeling and remodeling across the lifespan to better guide expectations and timelines for healing from bone stress injuries.
- Apply strategic loading parameters to support skeletal health across short- and long-term training phases, tailored to the runner’s developmental stage and life context.
- Implement best practices for run training, including intensity distribution strategies and resistance training integration, to support consistent, sustainable performance and injury resilience.
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Technical Details
Format: 100% Online, self-paced course
Length: ~20 hours
Content types:
- Video lectures
- Video tutorials
- Video demos
- PDF downloads where applicable
Curriculum
How to Get the Most Out of This Experience
Motivational Interviewing, Alliance Building, and Inductive Foraging
What Clinicians Need to Know
Staging and Typing Running-Related Pain and Injury
Strategies for Direct Access Providers
Revealing an Overlooked Clinical Pattern in Runners
Establishing Baselines, Benchmarks, and Clearance Criteria for Safe Return to Running
Tendon-Specific, Individualized Care for Runners
Step by Step, Bone by Bone – What you need to know
With Special Consideration for Bone and Tendon Health
Qualitative & Quantitative Gait Analysis and Retraining for Clinicians
Programming, Progression, and Autoregulation Basics
Selection, Screening, and Clinical Considerations
Coming soon (Femoral neck BSI, proximal hamstring tendinopathy, tibial BSI, sacral BSI, achilles tendinopathy)
Meet Your Instructor
Chris Johnson, PT
Chris completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Delaware, earning a Bachelor of Science with distinction while conducting a senior thesis under Dr. Lynn Snyder-Mackler. He was a varsity men’s tennis team member, scholar-athlete, and team captain in 2000, receiving the Lee J. Hyncik Award for excellence.
He stayed at Delaware for a physical therapy degree, completing an orthopedic/sports fellowship under Dr. Michael J. Axe. After graduation, he worked at NISMAT at Lenox Hill Hospital in NYC for eight years. In 2010, he opened Chris Johnson PT PLLC in Manhattan’s Flatiron District.
In 2013, Chris moved to Seattle, founded Zeren PT LLC, and later Alchemy Endurance for multisport and endurance athletes. He is a recognized authority in the endurance space, working with runners and triathletes. Chris is also a sought-after speaker, clinical educator, and business coach.
Chris lives in Edmonds with his wife and two kids, continuing to compete in distance running.
You can read more about Chris here.
Clinical Running Essentials
The foundational knowledge, skills, and expertise every clinician who treats runners needs
A 20-hour online course teaching you what it took me 20 years to learn about helping runners in a clinical setting.
🖥️ 100% Online & Self-Paced Course – Learn at your own pace, on your schedule.
🔄 Lifetime Access & Updates – Get all future course updates, including new content.
🎓 Earn CEUs – Approved for CEUs in CA, NY, and TX.
📂 Practical Tools & Resources – Downloadable PDFs, guides, and case studies.
👨⚕️ Expert-Led Instruction – 20+ years of clinical experience distilled into an actionable course.
📌 Bonus Case Study Modules – 4 live case-study webinars in 2025 with Q&A.(Recordings will be put into the course afterward. Exact dates TBD.)
$795 USD
Lifetime Access
Money-back guarantee
Here’s what early enrollees are saying
Clinical Running Essentials is the most thorough and comprehensive orthopedic resource available for clinicians and coaches. A job very well done, and I’m excited to see how it is received and to see what’s next.
– Mike S.
I might not have been the first. But happy to get the course on day 1 brother. Feels like going to a record store and picking up an album you’ve been looking forward to.
– Bryan B.
I was eager to purchase this course to show my appreciation and say a big THANK YOU… I’ve really stepped up my game as compared to my younger years. I’m sure it will be of the highest standard.
– Andy S.
FAQs
How do I access the course?
After completing your purchase, you will receive an email with a username and password. You’ll also be automatically logged into the website. To access the course anytime, click the Profile icon in the top right corner of the website, log in, and navigate to the Courses section in the member area.
How long do I have access to Clinical Running Essentials?
When you purchase Clinical Running Essentials, you get lifetime access, including all future updates. If new modules, sections, or content updates are added, they will automatically be available in your course at no additional cost.
How do I know if this course is for me?
Clinical Running Essentials is designed for clinicians who work with runners in a clinical setting. This includes physical therapists, chiropractors, athletic trainers, and other healthcare professionals who assess and treat running-related injuries.
While others may find the material valuable, this is a clinically focused course, not just a general overview of running mechanics. If you’re a clinician or someone looking to learn clinical-level information about working with runners, this course is for you.
Is there a refund policy?
Yes, we offer a 48-hour refund policy. Selling digital products comes with unique challenges, and we want to ensure you’re happy with your purchase while also protecting the integrity of the educational material. If the course is completely off base for what you expected, you can request a refund within 48 hours of purchase. However, this policy helps prevent piracy and ensures that the course remains valuable for all participants.
Does this course provide Continuing Education Units (CEUs)?
Yes! Clinical Running Essentials is approved for CEUs for Physical Therapists in CA, NY, and TX and recognized by most other state PT boards.
• CA: 2.0 CEUs
• NY: 28.4 hours
• TX: 20.00 CCUs
Most state PT boards accept CEUs approved by TX, NY, and CA. However, the following states require separate approval:
• FL, HI, LA, MN, OK, WV
• DC typically accepts these but may have additional requirements.
If you are licensed in a state not listed above, check with your licensing board to confirm acceptance.
Are there any prerequisites for taking this course?
No, there are no prerequisites for Clinical Running Essentials. The course is designed to be accessible for clinicians, coaches, and anyone looking to deepen their understanding of running-related assessment and treatment strategies. Whether you’re new to treating runners or have years of experience, you’ll find valuable insights and practical applications.
