Int J Sports Med 2014; 35(11): 933-938
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1367048
Training and Testing
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Influence of Sex and Level on Marathon Pacing Strategy. Insights from the New York City Race

A. Santos-Lozano
1   Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of León, León, Spain
2   Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Madrid, Spain.
,
P. S. Collado
1   Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of León, León, Spain
,
C. Foster
3   Department of Exercise and Sport Science, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, La Crosse, United States
,
A. Lucia
2   Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Madrid, Spain.
4   Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
,
N. Garatachea
2   Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Madrid, Spain.
5   Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Zaragoza, Huesca, Spain.
6   GENUD (Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development) Research Group, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History



accepted after revision 19 December 2013

Publication Date:
02 June 2014 (online)

Abstract

Different pacing profiles have been identified in the literature for endurance sporting events: the ‘positive’, ‘negative’, ‘even’, ‘parabolic shaped’ and ‘variable pacing’. Most studies have focused on competitive or elite athletes (including winners) without considering more recreational runners, for many of whom the primary goal is simply to finish the event. The major city marathons provide a large heterogeneous sample to compare the pacing profiles of competitive vs. recreational runners, and thus to understand pacing more broadly. A total of 190 228 New York finishers’ (69 316 women) marathon times (from 2006 to 2011) were assessed. Although all runners developed a positive pace profile, a lower variability of speed through the race was found in the top runners (coefficient of variation (CV) for speed during 5-km splits: 7.8% (men) and 6.6% (women)) compared with the less successful runners (CV ranging from 8.3 to 14.4%). Both men and women try to maintain an even pace profile along the marathon course, partly by avoiding an excessively fast start that might result in a pronounced decrease in the speed in the second half of the race.

 
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