Running Times, Online

by Joel Tetreault & Erin Gemmill

1. Introduction

In a previous article (One Runner’s View: Age and the Elite Marathon [March 16]), we looked at one of the age-old questions in sport: “for a particular event or sport, is there an optimal age to compete?” Specifically, we looked at the ages of elite male marathoners to see if there were in fact any trends in the age at which male marathoners tended to medal, or set the fastest time.

The marathon, in particular, is an interesting event to focus on because of the conflicting opinion on when to focus on the marathon. One school of thought says that the marathon should be tried early on, while on the other hand, some believe that the marathon should be tried after one is no longer improving in the shorter track events (which assumes speed has been maximized).

On the men’s side, this dichotomy was apparent in our previous study: European countries, which followed the latter school of thought, had marathoners setting PRs over the average, while major marathon countries such as Kenya and Japan had marathoners running their best times just under the average. In addition, we observed that 27 years was the average for an elite marathoner to PR and also most likely win an Olympic medal. We found no trend in the age of PR or medaling over time. That is, per decade, the average age to PR or get an Olympic medal has hovered around 27 years.

In this article, we now look at the women’s statistics to see if our previous observations with the men generalize across genders. Looking at the ages of the top 10 women, we can already see some differences with the men:

Although the average age of the top 10 all-time performers for women is very similar to the top 10 men (28.40 to 28.70), the distribution of the ages is different. While the men have half of the top 10 over 30, and 3 under 26 years old, the women have exhibit a much tighter distribution: only two are over 30, and the youngest is 25.In this article, we look at the same questions as last time:

• Are younger runners more likely to medal in the Olympic marathon than older ones? What is the average age of an Olympic marathon medalist?
• Is there a trend (increasing or decreasing) over the last 100 years of Olympics for athletes of a certain age to be more likely to medal?
• At what age is someone most likely to PR in the marathon? (What is the average age that an elite marathoner PR’s?)
• Are there any trends over the decades regarding this average age? (Maybe runners from the 1950s were more likely to PR in their later years, rather than runners now)
• Being more specific, what is the average PR age of top level marathoners per country? (Do successful marathon countries have guys that are older or younger than the norm?)

It is important to remember that because women have been marathoning for a short period of time compared to the men, there is a lot less data from which to derive reliable conclusions, so take the analysis with a grain of salt.
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by David Griffin

I watched her first high school race in the fall of 2003. She stood on that starting line without any expectations. Now, I’ve watched her last high school race, as she crossed the finish line of a journey that is hard to describe in 500 words.

Between her first race, and her last, she found peace on the trails where she ran. She tested herself and overcame fears. She learned what it feels like to go beyond her wildest dreams, and learned to deal with the disappointment of falling short. Each race offered its own challenge, each run a new opportunity. And, from the firing of that first starter’s pistol, to the very last home stretch, she’s grown with each passing stride.

Why is it that I’ve watched her so closely? Well, I guess it’s because I love her so much. It’s because the sun rises and falls around her. It’s because I was the first person to hold her, the day I became her Dad.

My daughter has excelled in school. She has taken courses that have challenged her and she’s responded to those challenges. She’s held leadership positions and earned the respect of her teachers and her peers. This fall, she’s moving on to a prestigious college.

But, there will be times when what she learned in the classroom will not have prepared her for what lies ahead. There will be days when the workload is heavy and the deadlines are looming. There will be days when nothing is going right and success seems impossible. But, she’s ready for that too.

She knows what it feels like to be in over her head and find the courage to get through. She knows that even when the hill seems to go on forever, that there’s a down hill on the other side. She knows that no matter how hard things may seem, the finish line lies ahead.

She has discipline and she knows that things of value aren’t earned without sacrifice. Her greatest strength lies deep inside her, and she knows where to find it. So, when knowledge and reason and critical thinking just aren’t enough, she has more than what she needs to muscle through.

Some time ago, we took a run together. We were on an isolated trail and the only things near us were things you can find in any forest or near any lake. The miles passed easily as we talked about whatever it was that came to mind. It was peaceful, and any trouble we were facing just got further and further behind us.

And so, if all else fails, she knows she has that too – the freedom to put it all behind her, clear her lungs and her mind, and come back with a fresh perspective. What could be more valuable than that?

I’m going to miss her. There will be an emptiness not easily filled. I’ll get over it, I know. And, as I watch her run off toward what lies ahead, I know she’s ready for whatever she finds. After all, my daughter is a runner.