Tarkine Elite's Oakie Diggins Q and A | Injury, Perspective, and the Long Game

Oakie Diggins is one of Australia's most exciting trail runners, known for his grit on the trails and his grounded approach to the sport. After being sidelined with a serious bone stress injury, Oakie sat down with Tarkine to talk about what happened, how he's navigating recovery, and what he'd say to other runners going through something similar.

What injury are you currently dealing with, and how did it start?

I'm currently dealing with a grade 2 to 3 bone stress injury in my left femoral neck. It's the kind of injury that builds over time, where the bone is repeatedly loaded without enough chance to recover. I'd just come off a post tib flare up, had about a week of pain free running, and then started to feel something in the front of my hip around mid February. At first it felt like a bit of tightness or a niggle, but over time it became clear something wasn't right.

I worked with my coach (Cam Kelsall) to manage it by reducing running and increasing cycling and strength work, but it wasn't improving. After a couple of physio sessions and a failed run walk test, I went for an MRI which confirmed the stress reaction.

Looking back, it was likely a combination of high training load, compensating off the other leg, and periods where I may have been slightly under fuelled. All adding up to the bone not being able to recover.

What's been the hardest part of this injury for you?

The hardest part was probably the first one to two weeks.

I was caught up thinking about the whole process instead of just sitting with it and trusting it. Running is such a big part of my day to day life. It's not just training, it's my mindfulness practice. It's how I process things, structure my day, and stay grounded. When that suddenly wasn't there, I got caught in that spiral of trying to figure out how everything would look without it.

It didn't feel like a loss, more like a gap you notice throughout the day. You catch yourself thinking about training, then realise it's just not there.

The uncertainty early on was probably the toughest part mentally. Once I had a clear diagnosis and a plan, and accepted that I needed to go with it rather than fight it, things became a lot easier.

How has this experience changed your perspective on running?

It's made me zoom out.

When you're deep in a training block, everything can feel immediate and performance driven. This has reminded me that I want to be doing this for a long time, not just chasing short term outcomes.

It's also made me appreciate the simple side of running more. Just being able to head out the door and move through trails. That's something you don't think about until it's taken away.

More than anything, it's shifted my focus towards sustainability. Not just in training, but in how I approach the whole process long term.

What does your recovery or rehab look like right now?

Right now it's structured, but simple.

The first couple of weeks were very protective. No running, no cycling, no loading, just letting things settle and using crutches to take stress off the hip.

Since then I've started building back into movement with swimming, using a pull buoy to keep load off the hip, along with upper body strength and regular sauna sessions.

At the moment I'm alternating swim and gym days, usually three of each per week, with sauna layered in where it fits.

I'm working closely with my physio, sports doctor and sports nutritionist to make sure everything is covered. The focus is gradual progression, no rushing, and letting things build when they're ready.

What have you learned about yourself through this process?

I've learned that I don't need to be running to still feel connected to it.

Stepping into the community in a different way, crewing, supporting mates, or just being around it, has been a big one. It's reinforced that running isn't just about individual performance, it's about people, connection, and shared experience.

I've also become more aware of my tendency to push things and fill my schedule, always trying to stay busy. That mindset doesn't always serve me, especially when it comes to recovery. This has been a lesson in pulling things back and not needing to optimise everything.

More than anything, it's reinforced that I want to do this for a long time, and that means making better decisions now.

What would you say to other runners going through injury right now?

Don't rush it.

The moment I stopped trying to control the timeline, things became easier. Time started to pass differently.

As runners, and probably as people in general, we're always trying to move forward as quickly as possible. But with injury, that urgency usually just slows things down.

There's something in learning to sit with where you are.

Use the time for what it is, not just what you wish it was. There's always something to work on, but it doesn't all have to be physical. It can be relationships, conversations, or just parts of life that get pushed aside when training takes over.

It's also an opportunity to explore movement in a different way. Strength, mobility, or just being active without an outcome attached.

Lean into the community as well. You don't have to disappear just because you're not training. There's still a place for you in it, just in a different role for a while.

And trust that running will be there when you're ready.

It might feel like a long time when you're in it, but zoom out and it's just a small part of a much longer journey.