Running can be more expensive than you might think — here's how to log miles without racking up costs

While registration fees for 5ks often go for about $30, costs for half-marathons, marathons, and ultra-marathons often range from $70 to hundreds of dollars.

Volunteering at races, opting for "virtual races," and signing up for team relay races can help shave off some dollars from your race fee while still getting the race-day experience.

You can also identify a few local races within driving distance to keep travel costs down and keep an eye out for when registration opens, since most competitions will offer significant discounts for people who sign up early.

Senita Athletics and Target both offer cheap and durable running clothes, and most thrift shops and online secondhand-fashion sites like Poshmark can offer steep discounts on otherwise pricey running gear if you're willing to put in the time to sift through a lot of clothing.

While GPS-equipped watches that track your pace and tell you how far you've run are great, a simple $20 watch can also help you track your pace if you know the mile markers on the route you're running. There are also plenty of free or cheap running apps you can download on your phone to keep an eye on your pace and distance.

Joining a local running club or corralling your friends into a running group can be a great way to stay motivated and reap the benefits of working out with a group of people without the cost of a gym membership or a group workout class.

Apps like Strava can also allow you to connect with other runners if you're not able to meet up for runs in person. And since many strengthening exercises for runners can be done with no weights or just dumbbells, a gym membership often isn't necessary for runners if you can go without it.

Though running seems like a simple sport, logging mile after mile can put a lot of stress on your body and easily lead to overuse injuries if you're not careful.

To avoid potentially having to go to physical therapy or getting medical treatment for injuries, you should follow the rules of injury prevention.

Warming up well before a run, stretching after a run, rolling out sore muscles with a foam roller, increasing mileage slowly, and strengthening your body are all crucial to keeping you out of the doctor's office and on the road. Practices like running on softer surfaces, wearing compression sleeves, drinking plenty of water, and getting a good pair of running shoes can also help ward off injury.