Study: Women run 25% smarter than men
A new study from September 1, 2014 concludes that women run 25% smarter than men – at least women are significantly better at managing their energy over longer distances such as marathons.
About the study
The study is based on 125,086 times from 9,620 marathon runners. The idea behind the study is that the most optimal marathon is run at the highest possible average speed. Running too fast at the start is not beneficial for overall performance. “Slowing down” is unfortunately a clear trend seen across all age groups in the marathon.
Results
The study draws many conclusions. The most important ones are listed in this section.
Women versus men – Women are best
When it comes to maintaining a steady pace throughout the race, women are the best. Women lose an average of 14% pace, while men are 25% worse than women. The graph below illustrates how much better the different age groups for women are at managing their energy than the corresponding age groups for men.
There is also room for improvement for women.
The quibbles shouldn’t be too sacrilegious though, as they also drop around 14% in pace measured in minutes per kilometer. The average woman starts out at 5:48 minutes per kilometer, and it looks worst from 35km to 40km, where the average speed across all age groups has dropped to 6:35 minutes per kilometer. The graph below shows the average pace for men and women over the marathon.
Overall, the first half marathon is run in an average of 2 hours and 4 minutes, while the second half is run in an average of 2 hours and 24 minutes. With a finishing time of 4 hours and 28 minutes, it is most optimal to run 2 hours and 14 minutes for each half marathon to maintain the highest possible pace.
Younger women are the bravest
Borset from the age group 70-74 years, it is the youngest women who primarily end up being too hard on themselves. Whether it is lack of experience or overconfidence, the study does not prove anything. Compared with the times of the men, the same pattern is seen.
You can download image material from the study as a ZIP file.
Download survey (EXCEL)
Tips for running a good marathon or half marathon
Once you’ve gone cold it’s difficult to get back up to speed. So do everything you can to prepare yourself well and keep the pace you planned from the start. A few good tips from running expert Jens Jakob Andersen are:
- Slow down your pace at the start of the race – it’s not good to push yourself too hard.
- Aim to run at a steady pace throughout your run. If you have the energy, you can pick up the pace a bit in the last part of the run.
- Train for many kilometers at your planned race pace. This will give you a good idea of what the correct pace feels like and will help you avoid running too fast.
- If you hit the wall during the race, it is important that you slow down immediately and do not try to keep up the pace – this will hit you hard later in the race.
Regardless of distance, it’s good to find a structured running program, where it is particularly important to have specified tempos for the different running disciplines. This helps to position you in the best possible way for an economical race.
About iloebesko
iloebesko.dk is a running site with a special interest in the scientific approach to running. iloebesko.dk is run by Jens Jakob, who is a former competitive runner. The site’s primary purpose is to create the world’s most in-depth analyses and tests of running shoes by Denmark’s most experienced runners. Read also about the team behind iloebesko.dk.