First time Marathon runner! Help I lost two toenails!?

Question

One is growing back. On the second toe, what was growing back has fallen off!

Has this happened to you?

Will it grow back?

Any sneaker suggestions? Im wearing Nike Moto 6.

ps... I ran a 20 miler last week.

Answer 1

C'mon Steve, after all that training you haven't already learned about the right kind of shoes???  Black toenails are caused by your toenails rubbing against the shoe, probably the front or the top of the toe box.

Get the right size shoes that have a large or high toe box so your toes don't rub.  I wear Saucony shoes for many years.

Good Luck in the marathon.....

Answer 2

Ive lost a few toe nails because I couldnt afford new shoes. If you can go to a Fleet Feet or running store and they will recommend the right shoes for you and the right size. Also get soe socks that dont absorb water or sweat to prevent blisters.

This is normal if you have the wrong shoes. I wear Saucony currently but have worn hundres of different shoes.

Answer 3

Your shoes are probably too small.

Answer 4

dude i don't know what is up i would see a doc. or you might need a bigger size.

Answer 5

Yes they will grow back. You probably need larger shoes. Your feet will expand during long runs. I buy my shoes a size larger because I run fifty and hundred mile races.  Another cause may be your toes hitting g the front of the shoe while going downhill  because of the size again. I had my second toe nail taken off by a podiatrist. I lost it during a fifty mile race one time and liked my toe without the nail. It hasn't caused any trouble since.

Answer 6

that happens all the time.

i know a guy and every time he does a marathon he loses a toenail.

it happens to a lot of people i dont think you have anything to worry about.

Answer 7

I have had this happen to me... What is happening is do to some trauma, a blood vessel breaks under the nail, the trapped blood causes the nail to appear black, A doctor can stick a hot needle through the toenail to pop the blood that's trapped underneath... Sometimes this has to be done a few times... and the blood has to be squeezed out... This can save the toenail. If you leave it trapped, the blood will eventually cause the toenail to fall off...

Though it most likely is from a poor shoe size... It can also be from a few other things.

Had you been clipping your toenails as short as possible? Doing this can help prevent the nail from snagging and getting caught on your shoe... which can cause a blood vessel to burst...

If you run on really rough surfaces... Your foot can get banged around inside of your shoe causing the trauma...

My suggestion is to first go to a running store and get fitted for a pair of shoes. They'll figure out which shoes are the best for you... Tell them about your toenail issue. Don't be embarassed this is a COMMON problem for runners.

If it still keeps happening, make sure you're clipping your toenails short...

If it still keeps happening, one of your toes may sit a little higher, you can always tape that toe to prevent it from getting caught on the inside of your shoe.

Answer 8

One thing you might consider is being more conscious of how your toes are while you run. Are they flexed up so that they rub on the top of your shoes? When I was training for my first marathon I started to get pains in my feet on any distance over 10 miles. I went to a sports and medicine clinic and they had me run on tread-mil barefoot to see how my feet were positioned when I ran. They noticed that I was curling my toes inward on impact and asked me to try and concentrate on keeping them relaxed while I ran. Took a few runs to get used to it, but it solved the problem.

Try running barefoot inside your house and see if you are curling your toes up. That could be causing the added friction and rubbing.

I keep a runner's blog if you are interested, it usually has pretty good tips and stories. See below