An Analysis of Participation and Performance of 2067 100-km Ultra-Marathons Worldwide

Angelika Stöhr, Pantelis Theodoros Nikolaidis, Elias Villiger, Caio Victor Sousa, Volker Scheer, Lee Hill and Beat Knechtle
Additional contact information
Angelika Stöhr: Medbase St. Gallen Am Vadianplatz, 9001 St. Gallen, Switzerland
Pantelis Theodoros Nikolaidis: Exercise Physiology Laboratory, 18450 Nikaia, Greece
Elias Villiger: Institute of Primary Care, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
Caio Victor Sousa: Bouve College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Volker Scheer: Ultra Sports Science Foundation, 69130 Pierre-Bénite, France
Lee Hill: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology & Nutrition, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
Beat Knechtle: Medbase St. Gallen Am Vadianplatz, 9001 St. Gallen, Switzerland

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 2, 1-12

Abstract: This study aimed to analyze the number of successful finishers and the performance of the athletes in 100-km ultra-marathons worldwide. A total of 2067 100-km ultra-marathon races with 369,969 men and 69,668 women competing between 1960 and 2019 were analyzed, including the number of successful finishers, age, sex, and running speed. The results showed a strong increase in the number of running events as well as a strong increase in the number of participants in the 100-km ultra-marathons worldwide. The performance gap disappeared in athletes older than 60 years. Nevertheless, the running speed of athletes over 70 years has improved every decade. In contrast, the performance gap among the top three athletes remains persistent over all decades (F = 83.4, p < 0.001; p η 2 = 0.039). The performance gap between the sexes is not significant in the youngest age groups (20–29 years) and the oldest age groups (>90 years) among recreational athletes and among top-three athletes over 70 years. In summary, especially for older athletes, a 100-km ultra-marathon competition shows an increasing number of opponents and a stronger performance challenge. This will certainly be of interest for coaches and athletes in the future, both from a scientific and sporting point of view.

Keywords: ultra-marathon; participation; performance gap; male–female differences (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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