Abstract
BackgroundThe aims of the study were (i) to investigate the relationship between elite marathon race times and age in 1-year intervals by using the world single age records in marathon running from 5 to 93 years and (ii) to evaluate the sex difference in elite marathon running performance with advancing age.MethodsWorld single age records in marathon running in 1-year intervals for women and men were analysed regarding changes across age for both men and women using linear and non-linear regression analyses for each age for women and men.ResultsThe relationship between elite marathon race time and age was non-linear (i.e. polynomial regression 4th degree) for women and men. The curve was U-shaped where performance improved from 5 to ~20 years. From 5 years to ~15 years, boys and girls performed very similar. Between ~20 and ~35 years, performance was quite linear, but started to decrease at the age of ~35 years in a curvilinear manner with increasing age in both women and men. The sex difference increased non-linearly (i.e. polynomial regression 7th degree) from 5 to ~20 years, remained unchanged at ~20 min from ~20 to ~50 years and increased thereafter. The sex difference was lowest (7.5%, 10.5 min) at the age of 49 years.ConclusionElite marathon race times improved from 5 to ~20 years, remained linear between ~20 and ~35 years, and started to increase at the age of ~35 years in a curvilinear manner with increasing age in both women and men. The sex difference in elite marathon race time increased non-linearly and was lowest at the age of ~49 years.
Highlights
The aims of the study were (i) to investigate the relationship between elite marathon race times and age in 1-year intervals by using the world single age records in marathon running from 5 to 93 years and (ii) to evaluate the sex difference in elite marathon running performance with advancing age
For men, the fastest elite marathon race time of 2:03:23 h: min:sec was achieved by Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich, Kenia, at the age of 31 years and 198 days on September 29, 2013, in Berlin, Germany
Geoffrey Kiprono Mutai, Kenia, ran the fastest marathon ever on April 18, 2011, at the ‘Boston Marathon’ in a time of 2:03:02 h:min: sec. This time was not recognized as an official world record in marathon running by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)
Summary
The aims of the study were (i) to investigate the relationship between elite marathon race times and age in 1-year intervals by using the world single age records in marathon running from 5 to 93 years and (ii) to evaluate the sex difference in elite marathon running performance with advancing age. The number of successful marathoners increased continuously. Recent studies investigating participation and performance trends in a large city marathon in the USA such as the ‘New York City Marathon’ showed that the increase in participants was mainly due to an increase in master runners (i.e. finishers of > 40 years of age) and women [2,3]. In the ‘New York City Marathon’, the number of men > 40 years increased three-fold from the. Mean marathons race times were nearly identical for age group runners from 20 to 49 years [6]. For 100-km ultra-marathoners, the fastest race times were observed during the age span of 30-49 years for men and 30-54 years for women, respectively [7]
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