Changes in the performance of elite male master marathon runners with aging

Abstract

Objective: To clarify whether the decrease in the full marathon record rate depends on the age of domestic elite master male citizen runners.

Methods: Data from the Japan marathon rankings, which cover almost all major domestic full marathons, were examined for every other year from fiscal year 2007 to 2015. We identified 1003 runners who achieved a ranking at least in 2011, 2013, and 2015; who were aged 36 years or older in 2007; and whose fastest time record was in 2011 or before. We grouped the runners according to their average age for the period from their fastest time record year till 2015, at 5-year increments. Each group’s average annual marathon speed change was analyzed using oneway ANOVAs, and in case of significance, post-hoc analyses were performed.

Results: The analysis revealed a significant difference in annual average decrease in marathon speed in each age group. The extent of decrease increased with age, and it was particularly large after the age of 70 years.

Conclusion: The present findings suggested that the higher the age of elite male master citizen runners, the higher was their yearly marathon speed decrease rate, which seemed to accelerate around the age of 70 years.