Some of the most physically fit people in the world may have a unique health risk. New research uncovers a possible link between marathon running and colorectal cancer.

Oncologists at the Inova Schar Cancer Institute in Virginia conducted the study, which examined the colons of relatively young people who had run several long-distance races. They found these runners had a much higher rate of having potentially dangerous adenomas (a type of polyp) than would be expected for their age. Though the findings are preliminary and require more confirmation, they may point to a real connection between colorectal cancer and extreme physical activity.

“It tells us there’s a signal here,” David Lieberman, a gastroenterologist and professor emeritus at Oregon Health and Science University not affilia

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