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Impact of Environmental Parameters on Marathon Running Performance

Author

Listed:
  • Nour El Helou
  • Muriel Tafflet
  • Geoffroy Berthelot
  • Julien Tolaini
  • Andy Marc
  • Marion Guillaume
  • Christophe Hausswirth
  • Jean-François Toussaint

Abstract

Purpose: The objectives of this study were to describe the distribution of all runners' performances in the largest marathons worldwide and to determine which environmental parameters have the maximal impact. Methods: We analysed the results of six European (Paris, London, Berlin) and American (Boston, Chicago, New York) marathon races from 2001 to 2010 through 1,791,972 participants' performances (all finishers per year and race). Four environmental factors were gathered for each of the 60 races: temperature (°C), humidity (%), dew point (°C), and the atmospheric pressure at sea level (hPA); as well as the concentrations of four atmospheric pollutants: NO2 – SO2 – O3 and PM10 (μg.m−3). Results: All performances per year and race are normally distributed with distribution parameters (mean and standard deviation) that differ according to environmental factors. Air temperature and performance are significantly correlated through a quadratic model. The optimal temperatures for maximal mean speed of all runners vary depending on the performance level. When temperature increases above these optima, running speed decreases and withdrawal rates increase. Ozone also impacts performance but its effect might be linked to temperature. The other environmental parameters do not have any significant impact. Conclusions: The large amount of data analyzed and the model developed in this study highlight the major influence of air temperature above all other climatic parameter on human running capacity and adaptation to race conditions.

Suggested Citation

  • Nour El Helou & Muriel Tafflet & Geoffroy Berthelot & Julien Tolaini & Andy Marc & Marion Guillaume & Christophe Hausswirth & Jean-François Toussaint, 2012. "Impact of Environmental Parameters on Marathon Running Performance," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(5), pages 1-9, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0037407
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037407
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    Cited by:

    1. Yiwen Xu & Ying Wang & Yang Yang, 2024. "The Impact of Air Pollution on Game Outcome," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 25(5), pages 557-582, June.
    2. Mengmeng Guo & Shihe Fu, 2019. "Running With a Mask? The Effect of Air Pollution on Marathon Runners’ Performance," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 20(7), pages 903-928, October.
    3. Fu, Shihe & Guo, Mengmeng, 2017. "Running with a Mask? The Effect of Air Pollution on Marathon Runners’ Performance," MPRA Paper 79473, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Michał Krawczyk & Maciej Wilamowski, 2015. "Are we all overconfident in the long run? Evidence from one million marathon participants," Working Papers 2015-01, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw.
    5. Hagen Deusch & Pantelis T. Nikolaidis & José Ramón Alvero-Cruz & Thomas Rosemann & Beat Knechtle, 2021. "Pacing in Time-Limited Ultramarathons from 6 to 24 Hours—The Aspects of Age, Sex and Performance Level," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-10, March.
    6. Abraham J Miller-Rushing & Richard B Primack & Nathan Phillips & Robert K Kaufmann, 2012. "Effects of Warming Temperatures on Winning Times in the Boston Marathon," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(9), pages 1-5, September.
    7. Beat Knechtle & Stefania Di Gangi & Christoph Alexander Rüst & Elias Villiger & Thomas Rosemann & Pantelis Theo Nikolaidis, 2019. "The role of weather conditions on running performance in the Boston Marathon from 1972 to 2018," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(3), pages 1-16, March.

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