Sex Differences in Ultramarathon Participation and Performance Trends
Author Information
Author(s): Thuany Mabliny, Gomes Thayse Natacha, Villiger Elias, Nikolaidis Pantelis T., Scheer Volker, Weiss Katja, Rosemann Thomas, Knechtle Beat
Hypothesis
We hypothesized an increase in participation and age and a decrease in performance irrespective of the race duration.
Conclusion
Runners are getting older and slower over time, except for those competing in 8-day events.
Supporting Evidence
- Participation rates increased for both sexes from 1990 to 2019.
- The sex gap in participation remains, although it is narrowing over time.
- Older runners tend to perform worse in ultramarathons.
- Performance trends show a general decline in speed across most race events.
Takeaway
This study looked at how men and women participate in ultramarathons and found that while more people are running, they are generally getting older and slower.
Methodology
This exploratory study used data from official event web pages, analyzing participation, age, and performance trends from 1990 to 2020.
Potential Biases
Potential biases due to the lack of control for multiple participation between years and events.
Limitations
The study relied on publicly available data, which may have inaccuracies and missing information about runners' profiles.
Participant Demographics
The sample included 373,186 athletes, with 75.3% males and 24.7% females, from 134 countries.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95%
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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