The warm up is important because of the reasons that I stated before, but the cool down is also important to keep the blood from pooling in the leg and allow the heart rate to gradually return to rest level. When someone doesn't warm up properly, they may experience muscle strain. If someone doesn't cool down properly, they may feel muscle tightness and, over time, they may experience a decrease in flexibility. What about the actual running itself. In addition, if someone has poor form, for instance, not keeping their back straight, they may have a more difficult time with their breathing.
Shoes are probably one of the most important parts of a running program.
Someone who is running in improperly fitting shoes, or improper shoes may experience an increased rate of injury. With so many different shoe brands, and models of shoes, it's difficult to know which one is the perfect shoe. The best recommendation I can give, is to have someone evaluate your foot type then make recommendations based on the type of training that you plan to do and your specific needs. There are shoes that are lighter weight that, at least athletes, will prefer. Most often, these shoes are also more expensive.