From Athens to Sparta—37 Years of Spartathlon

Beat Knechtle, Margarida Gomes, Volker Scheer, Robert Gajda, Pantelis Theodoros Nikolaidis, Lee Hill, Thomas Rosemann and Caio Victor Sousa
Additional contact information
Beat Knechtle: Medbase St. Gallen Am Vadianplatz, 9000 St. Gallen, Switzerland
Margarida Gomes: Laboratory of Physical Activity and Health, Polytechnic Institute of Beja, 7800-295 Beja, Portugal
Volker Scheer: Ultra Sports Science Foundation, 69310 Pierre-Bénite, France
Robert Gajda: Center for Sports Cardiology, Gajda-Med Medical Center in Pułtusk, 06-100 Pułtusk, Poland
Pantelis Theodoros Nikolaidis: School of Health and Caring Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
Lee Hill: Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
Thomas Rosemann: Institute of Primary Care, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
Caio Victor Sousa: Bouve College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 9, 1-9

Abstract: (1) Background: Recent studies analyzed the participation and performance trends of historic races such as the oldest ultra-marathon (Comrades) or the oldest 100-km ultra-marathon (Biel). One of the toughest and historic ultra-marathons in the world is the ‘Spartathlon’ (246-km ultra-marathon from Athens to Sparta). The present study aimed to analyze the trends in participation and performance of this race. (2) Methods: Different general linear models were applied as follows: the first model was a two-way ANOVA (Decade × Sex), with separate models for all participants and for only the top five finishers in each race; the second model was a two-way ANOVA (Age Group × Sex); the third model was a two-way ANOVA (Nationality × Sex). (3) Results: Between 1982 and 2019, 3504 ultra-marathoners (3097 men and 407 women) officially finished the Spartathlon at least once. Athletes from Japan were the majority with 737 participants, followed by far by runners from Germany ( n = 393), Greece ( n = 326), and France ( n = 274). The nations with the highest numbers of athletes amongst the top five performers were Japan ( n = 71), followed by Germany ( n = 59), and Great Britain ( n = 31). Runners from the USA were the fastest in men, and runners from Great Britain were the fastest in women. Female and male runners improved performance across the decades. The annual five fastest women and men improved their performance over time. Runners achieved their best performance earlier in life (20–29 and 30–39 years) than female runners (30–39 and 40–49 years). Runners in age group 30–39 years were the fastest for all nationalities, except for Greece. (4) Conclusions: Successful finishers in the Spartathlon improved performance in the last four decades and male runners achieved their best performance ~10 years earlier in life than female runners.

Keywords: endurance; performance; ultra-marathon; athlete; female; male (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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