The Hawkesbury Canoe Classic: Musculoskeletal Injury Surveillance and Risk Factors Associated With Marathon Paddling

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess the incidence and risk factors for musculoskeletal injury associated with marathon paddling.MethodsA prospective observational cohort study was conducted during the 2006 Hawkesbury Canoe Classic (HCC), an annual 111-km paddling race in Sydney, Australia. Before the race, a written questionnaire was distributed to competitors to gather information regarding their age, gender, type of craft they were competing in, paddling experience, HCC experience, training distances, and preceding injuries. The paddler's average race speed was also used for analysis. Injuries were recorded throughout the race. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify if any of the variables were associated with injuries observed during the race.ResultsSix hundred and twelve paddlers competed in the race, with 298 respondents participating in the study. Eighty-eight paddlers with a total of 135 injuries presented for medical assessment. More than one third of injuries involved the shoulder (35.6%), followed by the thoracic spine (23%), and lumbar spine (17%). Men were 3.6 times (CI: 1.39 to 9.32, P = .01) more likely to present with an injury compared with the women. A faster average speed (ie, faster finishing time) was correlated with a decrease in injury presentation (odds ratio 0.77, CI: 0.63 to 0.93, P = .01). Modifiable risk factors such as age, type of craft, paddling experience, HCC experience, training distances, and preceding injuries were not shown to increase the chance of injury presentation.ConclusionsFurther data gathered over a series of this race may point to modifiable risk factors that may help reduce the incidence of injury.