Abstract: Studies of non-elite distance runners suggest that men are more likely than women to slow their pace in the marathon. Purpose: This study determined the reliability of the sex difference in pacing across many marathons, and after adjusting women's performances by 12% NOT THE PUBLISHED VERSION; this is the author's final, peer-reviewed manuscript. The published version may be accessed by following the link in the citation at the bottom of the page. Sports & Exercise, Vol 47, No. 3 (March 2015): pg. 607-616. DOI. This article is © American College of Sports Medicine and permission has been granted for this version to appear in e-Publications@Marquette. American College of Sports Medicine does not grant permission for this article to be further copied/distributed or hosted elsewhere without the express permission from American College of Sports Medicine. 2 to address men's greater maximal oxygen uptake and also incorporating information on racing experience. Methods: Data was acquired from 14 U.S. marathons in 2011, and encompassed 91,929 performances. For 2,929 runners, we obtained experience data from a race-aggregating website. We operationalized pace maintenance as percentage change in pace observed in the second half of the marathon relative to the first half. Pace maintenance was analyzed as a continuous variable and as two categorical variables: "maintain the pace," defined as slowing < 10%; and "marked slowing," defined as slowing ≥30%. Results: The mean change in pace was 15.6% and 11.7% for men and women, respectively (P<0.0001). This sex difference was significant for all 14 marathons. The odds for women were 1.46 (95% CI: 1.41 to 1.50, P<0.0001) times higher than men to maintain the pace and 0.36 (95% CI: 0.34-0.38; P<0.0001) times that of men to exhibit marked slowing. Slower finishing times were associated with greater slowing, especially in men (interaction, P<.0001). However, the sex difference in pacing occurred across age and finishing-time groups. Making the 12% adjustment to women's performances lessened the magnitude of the sex difference in pacing but not its occurrence. Although greater experience was associated with lesser slowing, controlling for the experience variables did not eliminate the sex difference in pacing. The sex difference in pacing is robust. It may reflect sex differences in physiology, decision making, or both.
REF report that, after controlling for a variety of benchmark features, men are more likely than women to slow their pace, defined as the ratio of finish times of the second and first half marathons, for 14 marathons in the US during 2011.
Men Are More Likely than Women to Slow in the Marathon
Medicine and science in sports and exercise
Medicine and science in sports and exercise
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