Richard Donovan’s Return to Ultrarunning After Knee Replacement
Seven marathons on seven continents in seven days, I'm, what's called an ultramarathon runner. So I run distances longer than a conventional marathon distance. I've run across the USA. For example, actually, from Chrissie Fields here in San Francisco, I remember starting there dipping my feet on the water and then running over the bridge and ending in New York months later. I was hoping to run across Antarctica later that year, but due to logistical reasons, it wasn't gonna happen. And finally, Antarctica was supposed to happen in November, 2017. And I was training for it. I was running over a hundred miles a week, quite well prepared for it, having run across three continents in the previous three years. And I was on a routine run back in Ireland in Galway. I just went out one evening for a run and I felt my knee go my left knee. It literally went from under me, you know, it went for an MRI to both knees and there was a lot of damage to both of them. But it was my left knee that was hurting me that ended the Antarctica ambition in 2017. And I had to start on a new process of trying to fix my leg.
Dr. Stone: So Richard is a great example of someone who's been told that they have knee arthritis, should stop running, should wait for their total joint replacement, and give up the exercises that they like to do in life. He sought us out because we have a different philosophy.
Yeah, I couldn't believe it. I could talk to him on the phone, the guy himself, and, and he was able to review my MRI. Unlike the previous advice I got, he actually said, "what do you want out of this?" And I said, "I wanna run across America again." And he pretty much said, "I'll get you back doing that." You know, I bone on bone on my left medial prior to my leg. So he went through the what he was gonna do. And you know, the surgery was gonna be robotic surgery and, sure enough, he did it and my leg was perfect.
So Richard had medial arthritis, meaning arthritis just on the inside of his knee, in fact, in both knees. So he started with his worst knee and did a partial knee replacement. And by doing that, he was able to come back to his full running program, except for the fact that his opposite knee was limiting him,
Didn't even involve any long decision-making for me you know, he's the closest thing to God when it comes to the knee, as far as I'm concerned. Once my right knee produced pain in the last year, you know, it was an obvious choice for me to come back here and get this fixed.
So this week we went ahead and repaired his opposite knee, which required both of our skills, a biologic knee replacement, meaning we had to repair the has damaged articular cartilage in the outside part of his knee, which we did with something called an articular cartilage paste graft, and a partial knee replacement resurfacing the inside part of the knee, where he had worn it down to bone on bone.
I mean, before, before this, you know, I was limping walking my dog, you know, nobody should be doing that in their fifties, and nobody should accept that that's their lot. And because there are solutions and you know, the proof is here. Now I'm able to run again. I'm able to organize events like this and run around while I'm down here just over a week ago, I climbed the highest volcano in the world at 22,549 feet in the end is, and none of this would've been possible without Dr. Stone. So big shout out to Dr. Stone. Thank you for getting me down here. Get me back on the road. It's so good. It's almost like I wish I was born it, the surgery, isn't the end of something. It's the beginning of something new and positive, you know, once you have the solution and I know I have the solution, you know, that's what you look towards the future.
Richard Donovan Profile
Richard Donovan is an ultramarathon runner, extreme adventurer, and Race Director/participant in the World Marathon Challenge. In this extraordinary event, Richard leads a group of long-distance runners around the world to complete seven marathons on seven continents in seven days.
For Richard, running has never been casual. He has run across continents, organized races in some of the world’s most remote places, and built a life around endurance and exploration. But years of elite-level running eventually took a toll on his knees.
Diagnosed with arthritis in both knees, Richard was told he would need total knee replacements—and that running would no longer be part of his future. For an ultrarunner still chasing ambitious goals, that answer was not good enough. He began searching for a way to return to the sport and life he loved. That search led him from Galway, Ireland to The Stone Clinic in San Francisco.
A Different Path Than Total Knee Replacement
At The Stone Clinic’s Robotic Joint Center, Dr. Kevin Stone evaluated Richard’s knees, imaging, and goals. Rather than replacing the entire knee, Dr. Stone performed a robotic-assisted partial knee replacement on Richard’s left knee in June 2019. A second partial knee replacement on his right knee followed in 2020.
This approach allowed Dr. Stone to address the damaged areas of Richard’s knees while preserving the healthy parts of the joint. Using The Stone Clinic’s advanced approach to robotic-assisted surgery, biologic repair, and athlete-focused recovery, Richard began rebuilding toward the life he refused to give up.
Back to Running, Climbing, and Extreme Adventure
Eight months after his second surgery, Richard was already hiking in the Andes and running short distances in Antarctica. For most people, that alone would be an extraordinary return. For Richard, it was the beginning of the next chapter.
One year later, he undertook one of the most demanding endurance challenges imaginable: running across the continental United States.
Richard began his TransUSA Run at the Boston Marathon in April and finished 3,200 miles and 16 states later at the Santa Monica Pier in California. Averaging more than 40 miles per day on two partial knee replacements, his journey was a phenomenal accomplishment and an inspiration to injured athletes everywhere. You can read more about his cross-country run in this Irish Times article.
Richard Donovan in Triathlete Magazine
Richard’s recovery and return to ultrarunning were also featured in Triathlete Magazine: “Can I Still Run After Knee Replacement Surgery?”. The article explores how advances in robotic surgery, partial knee replacement, biologic repair, and rehabilitation are changing what some endurance athletes may be able to do after knee replacement.
Congratulations, Richard
Congratulations to Richard on an extraordinary return to running and a remarkable journey across America. We wish him continued health, strength, and success in the adventures ahead.
Story Update
Read our follow-up interview with Richard after his 3,200-mile cross-country run.
More on Running After Knee Replacement
Find out how robotic surgery can help active patients return to running after knee replacement.
Updates from Richard Donovan
