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Participation and Performance Trends in the Oldest 100-km Ultramarathon in the World

Author

Listed:
  • Beat Knechtle

    (Medbase St. Gallen Am Vadianplatz, 9001 St. Gallen, Switzerland
    Institute of Primary Care, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland)

  • Volker Scheer

    (Ultra Sports Science Foundation, 69310 Pierre-Bénite, France
    Health Science Department, Universidad a Distancia de Madrid (UDIMA), 28400 Collado Villalba, Madrid, Spain)

  • Pantelis Theodoros Nikolaidis

    (Exercise Physiology Laboratory, Nikaia 18450, Greece)

  • Caio Victor Sousa

    (Bouve College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA)

Abstract

Participation and performance trends in ultramarathon running have been investigated for large datasets and long period of times with an increase in participants and an improvement in performance. However, the analysis of ultramarathons across many decades is missing. We analyzed these trends for 96,036 athletes (88,286 men and 7750 women) from 67 countries competing between 1956 and 2019 in ‘100 km Lauf Biel’ in Switzerland, the oldest 100-km ultramarathon in the world. More men than women participated in all years. The number of male participants reached a peak at around 1985 and a decline in participation occurred thereafter. Women started competing in 1962. Men were always faster than women and both women and men reduced their race times over years. After about 1985, both overall women and men and both female and male winners were not able to improve race times. For men, athletes from all age groups below the age of 49 years old reached a peak of participation in the 1980s, and showed a decrease since then. Regarding age groups, the decrease first started in age group 20–29 years, followed by 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, and 60–69 years. For athletes in age groups 70–79 and 80–89 years, no decrease occurred. For women, age group athletes in age groups 40–49, 50–59, and 60–69 years increased their participation, whereas age groups 20–29 and 30–39 peaked in the late 1980s and started to decrease or stabilize, respectively. Switzerland, Germany, and France were the countries with the highest numbers of participants throughout the history of the race. In men, race times increased after about 1990 for most nationalities; only runners from Germany seemed to stabilize their performance. In women, runners from Italy, France, and Austria improved their performance over the years. In summary, the analysis of the oldest 100-km ultramarathon in the world showed a decrease in participation and an impairment in performance in the last 60 years. These changes were due to a decrease in the number of male ultramarathoners in around the 1980s, where mainly the number of age group runners younger than 70 years decreased.

Suggested Citation

  • Beat Knechtle & Volker Scheer & Pantelis Theodoros Nikolaidis & Caio Victor Sousa, 2020. "Participation and Performance Trends in the Oldest 100-km Ultramarathon in the World," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-12, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:5:p:1719-:d:329092
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Karin J. Waldvogel & Pantelis T. Nikolaidis & Stefania Di Gangi & Thomas Rosemann & Beat Knechtle, 2019. "Women Reduce the Performance Difference to Men with Increasing Age in Ultra-Marathon Running," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-16, July.
    2. Pantelis T. Nikolaidis & Aïna Chalabaev & Thomas Rosemann & Beat Knechtle, 2019. "Motivation in the Athens Classic Marathon: The Role of Sex, Age, and Performance Level in Greek Recreational Marathon Runners," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-9, July.
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    1. Beat Knechtle & Thomas Rosemann & Pantelis Theo Nikolaidis, 2020. "The Role of Nationality in Ultra-Endurance Sports: The Paradigm of Cross-Country Skiing and Long-Distance Running," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-9, April.
    2. Beat Knechtle & Margarida Gomes & Volker Scheer & Robert Gajda & Pantelis Theodoros Nikolaidis & Lee Hill & Thomas Rosemann & Caio Victor Sousa, 2021. "From Athens to Sparta—37 Years of Spartathlon," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-9, May.
    3. Pantelis T. Nikolaidis & Beat Knechtle, 2021. "Is It Time for Sports and Health in the Era of Covid-19 Pandemic?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-3, January.
    4. Aldo Seffrin & Beat Knechtle & Rodrigo Luiz Vancini & Douglas de Assis Teles Santos & Claudio Andre Barbosa de Lira & Lee Hill & Thomas Rosemann & Marilia Santos Andrade, 2021. "Origin of the Fastest 5 km, 10 km and 25 km Open-Water Swimmers—An Analysis from 20 Years and 9819 Swimmers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-11, October.
    5. Angelika Stöhr & Pantelis Theodoros Nikolaidis & Elias Villiger & Caio Victor Sousa & Volker Scheer & Lee Hill & Beat Knechtle, 2021. "An Analysis of Participation and Performance of 2067 100-km Ultra-Marathons Worldwide," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-12, January.

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