Glute Pain When Running: Could It Be Coming From Your Back?
Last Updated: Aug 21, 2026
Glute pain when running is common, but it can be surprisingly difficult to work out exactly where the pain is coming from.
This article looks at what the science tells us about glute pain and running, including loading, strength, biomechanics and when a running-focused physio assessment may be useful.
Glute pain when running is common, but it can be surprisingly difficult to work out exactly where the pain is coming from.
You might experience an ache in one buttock after a long run, deep glute pain when running, pain after sitting following a run, or discomfort that occasionally travels down the back of the thigh.
It is easy to assume this means you have injured a glute muscle.
Sometimes that is the explanation.
But buttock pain when running can also originate from the lower back, sciatic nerve, proximal hamstring tendon, gluteal tendons or deeper structures around the hip.
This matters because the treatment can be very different.
A runner with gluteal tendinopathy may benefit from progressive hip strengthening and managing loads around the lateral hip. Someone whose glute pain is coming from the lower back may instead need rehabilitation that considers spinal movement, neural sensitivity, strength and running tolerance.
So if your glute hurts during or after running, perhaps the most useful question isn’t:
“Which glute muscle have I injured?”
It is:
“Is my glute actually where the pain is coming from?”
Can lower back pain cause glute pain?
Yes.
Pain felt in one part of the body does not always originate from that location.
The lumbar spine contains discs, joints, muscles, ligaments and nerve structures that can sometimes produce pain felt primarily in the buttock.
This is known as referred pain.
In some runners, there may be surprisingly little lower-back pain.
Their main symptom could instead be:
- deep pain in one buttock
- aching glute pain after running
- pain spreading towards the back of the thigh
- glute pain after sitting
- pain when standing after sitting
- symptoms occurring only during longer runs.
The overlap between hip and lumbar symptoms is well recognised. A clinical review examining differentiation between hip and lumbar-spine disorders describes overlapping presentations involving the lower back, buttock, groin and thigh.
If you also experience lumbar symptoms, our more detailed guide to lower back pain after running explains how training load, spinal loading and strength can influence running-related back pain.
Why can pain from your back be felt in your glute?
Your lumbar spine is connected to a network of nerves travelling through the pelvis and lower limbs.
The nerve roots leaving the lower lumbar spine contribute to nerves supplying the buttock and leg, including the sciatic nerve.
When the lumbar region or associated neural structures become sensitive, symptoms can sometimes be perceived in the buttock.
This does not automatically mean you have a trapped nerve.
There is an important distinction between referred pain and radicular pain.
Referred pain from the lower back
This may produce:
lower-back sensitivity → deep ache in the glute
There may be no numbness, pins and needles or muscle weakness.
Sciatica or radicular pain
When a nerve root becomes irritated, symptoms may extend further down the leg.
The NHS guide to sciatica describes symptoms including pain involving the buttock and back of the leg as well as possible tingling, numbness and weakness.
Therefore you can have glute pain from your lower back without having sciatica.
What does back-related glute pain feel like?
No single symptom confirms that the lumbar spine is responsible.
However, there are patterns that make the back more relevant.
These can include glute pain influenced by:
- prolonged sitting
- bending forwards
- standing after sitting
- repeated spinal movements
- driving
- getting out of bed in the morning
- coughing or sneezing
- prolonged flexed postures.
The pain may also move.
For example:
Monday: mild lower-back and right-glute pain.
Wednesday: predominantly right-glute pain.
Friday: glute discomfort with a mild ache extending into the thigh.
This variation in location can be useful information.
Some runners also notice an unusual combination:
Sitting hurts more than running.
They may be able to run relatively comfortably but develop pain afterwards when sitting at a desk, driving or getting out of a chair.
That pattern should make the lumbar spine part of the assessment.
Why does my glute hurt after running but not while running?
This is another common pattern.
A runner may complete their training session comfortably and notice glute pain after running rather than during the session itself.
There are several possible explanations.
Running creates thousands of repeated loading cycles through the hip, pelvis and lumbar spine.
A tissue may tolerate the individual loading of each stride without pain but become sensitive once the cumulative training dose exceeds its current capacity.
Symptoms can therefore appear:
- towards the end of the run
- immediately afterwards
- later that evening
- after sitting following the run
- the following morning.
The delay does not necessarily mean damage occurred during the run.
The response over the next 24 hours can often provide more useful information than pain at one particular moment.
Does glute pain mean I have sciatica?
No.
The terms glute pain, buttock pain and sciatica are sometimes incorrectly used interchangeably.
Sciatica usually produces symptoms along the course of the sciatic nerve.
The NHS describes common symptoms including:
- buttock and posterior leg pain
- burning or shooting pain
- pins and needles
- numbness
- weakness.
Read the NHS guide to sciatica.
Symptoms may extend into the calf, foot or toes.
By comparison, referred lumbar pain may stay entirely within the buttock.
So:
Glute pain ≠ automatically sciatica.
And:
Sciatica ≠ automatically a severe spinal problem.
Can you run with sciatica?
This depends on the severity and behaviour of the symptoms.
Some people with relatively mild, stable sciatic symptoms can remain physically active and may tolerate modified running.
Others find running progressively increases leg symptoms.
Important questions include:
- Does pain travel further down the leg as you run?
- Are you developing numbness?
- Is there weakness?
- Does running significantly worsen symptoms afterwards?
- Are symptoms progressively worsening from week to week?
Running with mild symptoms that remain stable is a very different scenario from trying to continue through increasing neurological symptoms.
If you develop progressive weakness or significant sensory changes, seek an appropriate clinical assessment.
What else causes buttock pain when running?
Not all buttock pain after running originates from the back.
Several conditions can produce similar symptoms.
1. Gluteal tendinopathy
Gluteal tendinopathy affects the gluteus medius and/or gluteus minimus tendons close to their attachment around the greater trochanter.
Pain is usually felt towards the outside of the hip, rather than centrally in the buttock.
Symptoms can include:
- lateral hip pain
- pain lying on the affected side
- tenderness around the greater trochanter
- pain standing on one leg
- pain on stairs
- discomfort during longer runs.
A clinical review of gluteal tendinopathy and greater trochanteric pain syndrome discusses gluteal tendon pathology as an important source of lateral hip pain.
For a runner searching for glute pain when running, establishing whether the pain is lateral or truly posterior is therefore an important first step.
2. Proximal hamstring tendinopathy
If your pain is lower in the buttock, especially close to the sitting bone, the proximal hamstring tendon becomes more relevant.
The tendon originates at the ischial tuberosity.
Proximal hamstring tendinopathy commonly produces:
- deep lower-buttock pain
- pain near the sitting bone
- pain when sitting
- symptoms during faster running
- pain on hills
- discomfort during acceleration
- pain with hamstring loading.
Research describes proximal hamstring tendinopathy as a recognised cause of buttock pain in sporting and endurance-running populations.
Read the systematic review on PubMed.
The challenge is that both proximal hamstring pain and back-related glute pain can be aggravated by sitting.
Location and physical testing become important.
3. Deep gluteal syndrome
Another potential cause of deep buttock pain when running is deep gluteal syndrome.
This term describes irritation of the sciatic nerve within the deep gluteal region rather than at the lumbar spine.
The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital’s guide to deep gluteal syndrome explains that the sciatic nerve travels from the lower spine through the buttock and can sometimes become irritated within the soft tissues of this region.
Symptoms can include:
- deep buttock pain
- pain during prolonged sitting
- discomfort when running
- pain extending into the thigh
- tingling or numbness in some cases.
Is it piriformis syndrome?
Piriformis syndrome is one of the most commonly searched explanations for pain in the buttock.
It occurs when the sciatic nerve is irritated in relation to the piriformis muscle.
Authoritative clinical sources describe symptoms including buttock pain that can extend down the back of the leg, sometimes accompanied by numbness or tingling.
However, runners should be careful about diagnosing themselves with piriformis syndrome.
Similar symptoms can originate from:
- the lumbar spine
- proximal hamstring tendon
- hip
- other deep gluteal structures.
The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital now uses the broader term deep gluteal syndrome to encompass causes of sciatic-nerve irritation within the buttock.
Therefore:
deep glute pain does not automatically equal piriformis syndrome.
4. Hip-joint pain
Hip-joint conditions can occasionally produce posterior hip or buttock pain.
However, they more commonly produce symptoms around:
- the groin
- front of the hip
- upper thigh.
Features such as markedly reduced hip movement, deep groin discomfort, catching or pain in deep hip flexion may increase suspicion of a hip-joint contribution.
The lumbar spine and hip can also contribute simultaneously.
What clues suggest my glute pain is coming from my back?
Patterns matter more than one isolated symptom.
Your glute hurts after sitting
If glute pain after sitting is a major feature, the lumbar spine, proximal hamstring and deep gluteal region all warrant consideration.
If changing spinal posture alters symptoms, that provides an additional clue.
Pain occurs when standing after sitting
Some runners feel reasonably comfortable while sitting but develop pain during the first few steps after getting up.
This can be relevant to a mechanically sensitive lumbar presentation.
Bending affects the pain
If bending forwards or backwards reliably changes the buttock symptoms, a spinal contribution becomes more plausible.
Your symptoms move
Pain that shifts between the lower back, glute and thigh may indicate referred or neural involvement.
You also have lower-back pain
This sounds obvious, but it can easily be overlooked when the buttock is considerably more painful than the back.
If you have both symptoms, see our detailed guide to lower back pain and running.
Running distance predicts the symptoms
Perhaps 5 km feels fine but your glute becomes painful after 10 miles.
That is valuable information.
It suggests that cumulative running load matters.
Why does my glute only hurt on long runs?
Imagine your symptoms consistently start at 70 minutes.
The first 30 minutes may fall comfortably within your present capacity.
As the run continues, however, thousands of additional loading cycles accumulate.
By 70 minutes, the current demand may exceed the capacity of whichever structure is sensitive.
This creates a useful rehabilitation opportunity.
Rather than stopping running completely, you might initially remain below the symptom threshold.
For example:
Pain starts around 70 minutes
↓
Temporarily reduce long runs to 40–50 minutes
↓
Build strength and running tolerance
↓
Progress back towards 60 minutes
↓
Gradually restore the original distance
This approach is fundamentally different from continually running until the pain appears to “test” whether it has recovered.
Does running damage your lower back?
Current research does not support the idea that recreational running inherently damages the lumbar spine.
A systematic review examining the prevalence of lower-back pain in runners did not find evidence that running carries an exceptionally high prevalence of lower-back pain.
A randomised controlled trial has even investigated running as rehabilitation for people with chronic non-specific lower-back pain.
The ASTEROID trial found that a progressive run-walk programme improved outcomes for adults with chronic lower-back pain.
Our guide to lower back pain after running: causes, treatment and physio advice explores this evidence in considerably more detail.
The practical message is:
Running is a load — not automatically damage.
What about weak glutes?
Weak glutes are blamed for almost every running injury.
This is too simplistic.
Hip strength can certainly form part of a runner’s overall physical capacity.
But finding weakness does not prove that weakness originally caused the pain.
Pain itself may reduce muscle output.
People who stop exercising because of pain can also subsequently lose strength.
Therefore the important question is not:
“Are my glutes weak?”
It is:
“Would improving hip strength help increase my overall capacity for the running I want to do?”
Often the answer is yes.
But glute strengthening alone will not necessarily resolve glute pain referred from the lower back.
Should you stretch glute pain?
Not automatically.
“Pain equals tightness” is an unreliable assumption.
Repeatedly stretching the painful area may aggravate some presentations.
For example, prolonged hip flexion can increase compression around the proximal hamstring tendon.
Certain positions can also increase lumbar or neural symptoms.
A better guide is the actual response.
If a stretch:
- temporarily feels pleasant
- but produces more pain afterwards,
it is probably not solving the relevant problem.
How does a running physio assess glute pain?
A running-specific physio assessment should consider the back, hip, glute, hamstring and nervous system, rather than only examining the place that hurts.
Training history
The physio should establish whether anything changed before symptoms started:
- increased weekly mileage
- longer long runs
- more speed work
- hill training
- return after injury
- new strength training
- changed training frequency.
Lumbar-spine examination
Spinal movements may be assessed to determine whether they reproduce or reduce the glute symptoms.
Neurological examination
Where symptoms extend into the leg, assessment may include:
- reflexes
- muscle strength
- sensation
- neural tension testing.
Hip and glute strength
Depending on the presentation, testing can include:
- hip abduction
- hip extension
- single-leg loading
- step-downs
- split-squat capacity.
Proximal hamstring assessment
Pain near the sitting bone may require specific hamstring loading tests.
Running assessment
Sometimes the symptoms only appear when running.
Where relevant, running analysis may therefore assess:
- cadence
- stride characteristics
- trunk movement
- pelvic control
- symptom response to small running modifications.
The purpose is not to identify a “perfect” running style.
It is to determine whether a modifiable element meaningfully changes the runner’s symptoms or load.
Do I need an MRI for glute pain?
Usually not initially.
The NICE guideline for lower-back pain and sciatica recommends against routine imaging in non-specialist settings unless imaging is likely to change management.
MRI findings must also be interpreted carefully.
Disc degeneration and disc bulges can occur in people without pain.
Likewise, finding tendon abnormalities does not necessarily establish that they are the primary pain source.
Imaging is most useful when it answers a specific clinical question.
Should I keep running with glute pain?
For many runners, complete rest is unnecessary.
If symptoms are:
- mild
- stable
- not progressively worsening
- not associated with significant neurological changes
- settling reasonably quickly afterwards,
you may be able to continue with a modified running programme.
Possible temporary changes include:
- shortening the long run
- reducing hill volume
- reducing faster running
- separating demanding running sessions
- maintaining comfortable easy runs.
Monitor what happens during the following 24 hours, not simply during the run.
Seek assessment if pain becomes progressively worse, starts occurring earlier during each run or begins significantly affecting everyday activity.
When is buttock pain more concerning?
Seek prompt medical assessment if symptoms include:
- progressive leg weakness
- significant worsening numbness
- major loss of sensation
- changes in bladder or bowel control
- saddle or genital numbness
- significant trauma
- systemic illness
- rapidly worsening neurological symptoms.
These symptoms should not simply be treated as a tight glute or piriformis problem.
What exercises help glute pain from running?
here is no single best programme because the correct exercise depends on the diagnosis.
For some runners, rehabilitation may include:
Trunk conditioning
- bird dog variations
- side planks
- modified curl-ups
- loaded carries.
Hip strengthening
- hip abduction
- bridges
- step-downs
- single-leg exercises.
Lower-limb strength
- split squats
- squats
- Romanian deadlifts
- step-ups
- calf raises.
A major Cochrane review examining exercise therapy for chronic lower-back pain found evidence that exercise can improve pain compared with minimal or usual care.
But exercises should ultimately prepare you for the task you want to return to.
Three sets of glute bridges and a short resistance-band routine are not equivalent to tolerating thousands of running strides.
How should you return to longer running?
Once symptoms become predictable and stable, gradually increase the running exposure.
An example might be:
Week 1: 40-minute long run
Week 2: 45 minutes
Week 3: 50 minutes
Week 4: 55 minutes
Week 5: 60 minutes
This is an illustration rather than a prescription.
Progression depends on:
- symptoms during the run
- symptoms immediately afterwards
- response the following morning
- neurological symptoms
- other training performed that week.
The principle is:
Build capacity rather than repeatedly testing the point where the pain starts.
Glute Pain When Running: The Key Message
Glute pain when running does not automatically mean you have injured a glute muscle.
The buttock is an area where symptoms from several different structures overlap.
Potential causes include:
- gluteal tendinopathy
- proximal hamstring tendinopathy
- deep gluteal syndrome
- piriformis-related pain
- hip-joint pain
- referred lumbar pain
- sciatica.
A particularly important possibility is glute pain coming from the lower back.
Consider a lumbar contribution particularly when symptoms are influenced by sitting, bending, spinal movement or getting out of a chair; move between the lower back, glute and thigh; or are associated with tingling, numbness or pain extending further down the leg.
You can read more about this relationship in our guide to lower back pain after running: causes, treatment and physio advice.
The solution is therefore not automatically:
stretch the piriformis + strengthen the glutes + stop running.
A better approach is to establish:
Where is the pain most likely coming from?
What movements influence it?
How much running can you currently tolerate?
What changed in your training?
Is the lumbar spine or nervous system contributing?
What physical capacity needs to be rebuilt?
Once those questions are answered, rehabilitation becomes considerably more targeted.
Glute Pain When Running? Get a Running-Specific Assessment
If glute or buttock pain keeps returning when you run, appears once you reach longer distances, is aggravated by sitting, or you are unsure whether it is coming from the glute, hamstring, hip, sciatic nerve or lower back, a running-specific assessment can help clarify the likely cause.
At Stride Lab London, we assess runners rather than simply treating the painful area.
Depending on your presentation, your assessment may include:
- lumbar-spine assessment
- neurological examination where appropriate
- hip and glute strength testing
- hamstring assessment
- training-load review
- functional strength testing
- running analysis where relevant.
The goal is not simply to tell you to stop running.
It is to understand why your symptoms are occurring, establish what you can currently tolerate and develop a clear plan to get you back to normal training.
Ready to get your glute pain assessed?
Contact Stride Lab London to arrange your running physio assessment
This article is intended for general educational purposes and does not replace individual medical or physiotherapy assessment. Seek urgent medical assessment for significant or progressive neurological symptoms, changes in bladder or bowel function, saddle numbness, significant trauma or other concerning symptoms.