There is always a concern that running can cause osteoarthritis. Although running can cause knee damage, recreational running does not cause osteoarthritis at any age, and according to new research, recreational running may even be protective. People who do not have osteoarthritis of the knee do not have to give up running for fear of knee damage, however, the results of this study do not apply to people who already have osteoarthritis of the knee. Previous studies have been limited to professional male runners, looking at the association between running and knee osteoarthritis. In contrast, the current study was conducted on a community population with a total of 2683 participants as a cohort study, with a mean age of 64.5 years, a mean body mass index of 28.6 kg/m2, and 56% of the participants being female. All enrollees underwent knee radiography and symptom assessment, and participants were categorized in the study into age groups of 12-18 years, 19-34 years, 35-50 years, and 50 years and older. In all age groups, the prevalence of knee pain was significantly lower in runners than in non-runners, as was the prevalence of imaging signs and clinical symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. There may be selection bias in this study because runners are mostly trying to lose weight and will generally have a healthier diet than non-runners. Runners will generally be more physically well. This study is the first trial of a large sample to address this issue, and the findings help us to recognize that high-impact activities like running do not increase the incidence of knee osteoarthritis.