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Declines in marathon performance: Sex differences in elite and recreational athletes

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  • Gerald S Zavorsky
  • Kelly A Tomko
  • James M Smoliga

Abstract

The first aim of this study was to determine the age group at which marathon performance declines in top male and female runners and to compare that to the runners of average ability. Another aim of this of this study was to examine the age-related yearly decline in marathon performance between age group winners and the average marathon finisher. Data from the New York (NYC), Boston, and Chicago marathons from 2001–2016 were analyzed. Age, sex, and location were used in multiple linear regression models to determine the rate of decline in marathon times. Winners of each age group were assessed in 5-year increments from 16 through 74 years old (n = 47 per age group). The fastest times were between 25–34 years old, with overall champion males at 28.3 years old, and overall champion females at 30.8 years old (p = 0.004). At 35 years of age up to 74 years of age, female age group winners had a faster yearly decline in marathon finishing times compared to male age group winners, irrespective of marathon location [women = (min:sec) 2:33 per year, n = 336; men = 2:06 per year, n = 373, p

Suggested Citation

  • Gerald S Zavorsky & Kelly A Tomko & James M Smoliga, 2017. "Declines in marathon performance: Sex differences in elite and recreational athletes," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(2), pages 1-17, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0172121
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172121
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    Cited by:

    1. Pantelis T. Nikolaidis & José Ramón Alvero-Cruz & Elias Villiger & Thomas Rosemann & Beat Knechtle, 2019. "The Age-Related Performance Decline in Marathon Running: The Paradigm of the Berlin Marathon," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-12, 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. Carlos Hernando & Carla Hernando & Ignacio Martinez-Navarro & Eladio Collado-Boira & Nayara Panizo & Barbara Hernando, 2020. "Using Accelerometry for Evaluating Energy Consumption and Running Intensity Distribution Throughout a Marathon According to Sex," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-14, August.
    4. Karin J. Waldvogel & Pantelis T. Nikolaidis & Stefania Di Gangi & Thomas Rosemann & Beat Knechtle, 2019. "Women Reduce the Performance Difference to Men with Increasing Age in Ultra-Marathon Running," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-16, July.
    5. Pantelis Theodoros Nikolaidis & Ivan Cuk & Thomas Rosemann & Beat Knechtle, 2019. "Performance and Pacing of Age Groups in Half-Marathon and Marathon," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-10, May.

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