The Mass General Brigham National Running Center, affiliated with Spaulding Rehabilitation, provides expert, evidence-based care to help runners recover from injury, optimize their performance, and stay injury-free.
Our team includes physicians, physical therapists, and biomechanists, many of whom are runners themselves, offering a unique blend of clinical insight and lived experience. Drawing on decades of sports medicine research, the Center delivers innovative, personalized solutions for runners that incorporate on-site gait analysis, proven injury prevention techniques, and low-impact, easy-to-learn rehabilitation exercises.
Conveniently located at Boston Landing in Brighton—parallel to mile 22 of Boston’s historic marathon route—the Running Center is a trusted resource for runners and multi-sport athletes throughout New England.
Whether you’re recovering from a running injury, preparing for race day, or seeking expert medical advice on your gait and training regimen, our team helps you run strong and stay safe. Led by Adam Tenforde, MD, our integrated team provides comprehensive evaluation and coordinated treatment for runners, including medical care, physical therapy, and gait retraining.
Many running injuries, especially those that emerge gradually, stem from how your body moves during a run – your form. If poor form isn’t addressed, your risk of reinjury when you recover and resume running stays high.
With access to advanced imaging, diagnostic tools, and a full network of orthopedic and rehabilitation specialists, we deliver coordinated care that gets you back on your feet safely. Our researchers and scientists can use motion capture technology and real-time feedback devices to assess and optimize your run, helping you reach your personal best.
Beyond providing gait assessment and medical care for athletes, the Center serves as an international training and research site, shaping the next generation of sports medicine specialists as they work to prevent and treat running injuries.
Our mission is to advance the science of running injury treatment and prevention through innovative research and compassionate clinical practice. Our shared goal is simple: to keep our patients running for the long term.
The Mass General Brigham National Running Center helps runners of all ages and experience levels understand and manage injuries that can interfere with training or everyday movement. From nagging aches to serious setbacks, our team evaluates and treats:
Physical therapy is a cornerstone of our approach, helping runners regain strength, improve mobility, and return to running with confidence.
Your initial running evaluation is a comprehensive, two-hour appointment that may include:
You’ll receive a detailed report with videos, data, and expert recommendations tailored to your needs.
Based on your initial evaluation, your care plan may include:
Our treatment plans often include physical therapy sessions tailored for runners and focusing on strength, mobility, and safe progression back to activity.
Gait retraining helps runners make small changes to their stride, posture, and footstrike to relieve pain, reduce injury risk, and improve performance. Our team guides you through these adjustments gradually, using video and motion analysis to ensure safe, effective results.
Gait retraining is especially helpful for runners dealing with chronic issues like shin splints, stress fractures, or knee pain—or if you’re simply looking to move more comfortably and efficiently.
Whether you run the bases, chase down rebounds, or sprint the length of a soccer field, healthy running mechanics matter. At the Mass General Brigham National Running Center, we treat athletes from all sports who rely on efficient, pain-free running and dynamic movement.
Our expert team uses gait analysis, strength and mobility assessments, and advanced imaging to help you identify issues that could lead to injury—or already have. We guide you through customized treatment plans and training strategies to help you heal, move better, and reduce your risk of future injury.
Uninjured sprinters and elite runners can also participate in biomechanical performance testing and research through our Center for Sports Performance and Research in Foxborough, MA. This facility delivers next-generation sports science and motion capture research for athletes seeking to optimize every stride.
Every runner is unique—and our team is committed to understanding your goals and delivering care tailored to your stride.
Medical Director of the National Running Center
Physical Therapist, Advanced Clinical Specialist
Physical Therapist
Physical Therapist, Advanced Clinician
Lab Manager
The National Running Center is at the forefront of running-related injury research. Our team has published dozens of peer-reviewed studies exploring how lower-body structure and mechanics relate to common running injuries, such as bone stress injuries, plantar fasciitis, patellofemoral pain syndrome, and Achilles tendinitis.
The Center also investigates how factors like gait biomechanics, sex differences, and training adaptations influence injury risk. We develop and test wearable sensor systems that monitor gait in real-world settings and provide feedback that can be utilized to modify movement patterns.
By integrating clinical insights with cutting-edge research, we continuously refine our treatment approaches and contribute to the growing field of sports medicine.
To schedule an initial running assessment at the Center, please call 617-952-6711. Virtual visits are also available.
