[pmahoney]

> There are ways to run that are less damaging

I looked into this quite a bit some years ago and found no research to suggest more cushioned shoes, less cushioned shoes, pronation-control shoes, barefoot running, etc. have any effect on injury rates. Are there recent studies or info that I missed on this topic?

> it's unlikely to be so damaging to you as to outweigh its benefits

It's even possible that all the shock and load bearing of running /is/ a benefit.

Running is associated with acute injuries of all sorts, but as others have commented does not correlate with osteoarthritis or other long term injuries.