ORIGINAL PAPER
Road and trail running from 5 km to an ultra-marathon – trends in Switzerland from 1999 to 2019
1
Department of Physical Education, State University of Para, Pará, Brazil
2
Kinderspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
3
Ultra Sports Science Foundation, Pierre-Benite, France
4
CI-ISCE, Higher Institute of Educational Sciences of the Douro, Penafiel, Portugal
5
Institute of Primary Care, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
6
School of Health and Caring Sciences, University of West Attica, Athens, Greece
7
Physiology Department, Federal University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
8
Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
9
Gesundheitszentrum St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
Submission date: 2024-04-20
Acceptance date: 2024-09-26
Publication date: 2024-09-30
Corresponding author
Beat Knechtle
Gesundheitszentrum St. Gallen, Medbase St. Gallen am Vadianplatz, Vadian- strasse 26, 9001 St. Gallen, Switzerland
Gesundheitszentrum St. Gallen, Medbase St. Gallen am Vadianplatz, Vadian- strasse 26, 9001 St. Gallen, Switzerland
Hum Mov. 2024;25(3):96-108
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Purpose:
This study aimed to verify participation and performance in all road and trail-based races in Switzerland over two decades (1999–2019).
Methods:
This is a secondary data-based study. We used 1,149,182 race records (788,818 from men and 360,364 from women) from 407,944 unique finishers of the 5 km, 10 km, half-marathon, marathon, and ultra-marathon races in Switzerland, between 1999 and 2019. Data included the athletes’ genders, ages, race distances, and types of races (road or trail). The mento- women ratio was calculated and box plots were used to present differences according to gender, age groups, and race distances in both terrains. Differences between the groups were calculated.
Results:
The men-to-women ratio has generally decreased in all race distances over the years. Runners competing in roadbased races were faster than those in a trail run in all distances. Men had faster finish times than women independent of age, except those competing in 10 km trail races. In road-based races, the men-to-women ratio was higher among older marathoners, while for trail runs, a higher men-to-women ratio was shown for older half-marathoners and participants in 10 km races. For 5 km, 10 km, half-marathon, and ultra-marathon races, a decrease in running speed differences was shown until the age of 50 years.
Conclusions:
In Switzerland, most of the runners competed in road-based races, but the interest in trail running has increased. The men-to-women ratio declined over time, which could show an increase in the interest of women to participate in endurance activities.
This study aimed to verify participation and performance in all road and trail-based races in Switzerland over two decades (1999–2019).
Methods:
This is a secondary data-based study. We used 1,149,182 race records (788,818 from men and 360,364 from women) from 407,944 unique finishers of the 5 km, 10 km, half-marathon, marathon, and ultra-marathon races in Switzerland, between 1999 and 2019. Data included the athletes’ genders, ages, race distances, and types of races (road or trail). The mento- women ratio was calculated and box plots were used to present differences according to gender, age groups, and race distances in both terrains. Differences between the groups were calculated.
Results:
The men-to-women ratio has generally decreased in all race distances over the years. Runners competing in roadbased races were faster than those in a trail run in all distances. Men had faster finish times than women independent of age, except those competing in 10 km trail races. In road-based races, the men-to-women ratio was higher among older marathoners, while for trail runs, a higher men-to-women ratio was shown for older half-marathoners and participants in 10 km races. For 5 km, 10 km, half-marathon, and ultra-marathon races, a decrease in running speed differences was shown until the age of 50 years.
Conclusions:
In Switzerland, most of the runners competed in road-based races, but the interest in trail running has increased. The men-to-women ratio declined over time, which could show an increase in the interest of women to participate in endurance activities.
REFERENCES (38)
1.
Gloor RU, Knechtle B, Knechtle P, Rüst CA, Haupt S, Rosemann T, Lepers R. Sex-related trends in participation and performance in the ‘Swiss Bike Masters’ from 1994–2012. Percept Mot Skills. 2013;116(2):640–54; doi: 10.2466/30.Pms.116.2. 640-654.
2.
Stamm H, Lamprecht M. Swiss sports participation in an international perspective. Eur J Sport Soc. 2011;8(1–2):15–29; doi: 10.1080/16138171. 2011.11687867.
3.
Vink R, Varró K. Running Rotterdam: on how locals’ participation in running events fosters their sense of place. GeoJ. 2021;86(2):963–78; doi: 10.1007/s10708-019-10104-3.
4.
Anthony D, Rüst CA, Cribari M, Rosemann T, Lepers R, Knechtle B. Differences in participation and performance trends in age group half and full marathoners. Chin J Physiol. 2014;57(4):209–19; doi: 10.4077/cjp.2014.Bac219.
5.
Knechtle B, Nikolaidis PT, Zingg MA, Rosemann T, Rüst CA. Half-marathoners are younger and slower than marathoners. Springerplus. 2016;5:76; doi: 10.1186/s40064-016-1704-9.
6.
Kotecha T. Kathrine Switzer: First woman to officially run Boston Marathon on the iconic moment she was attacked by the race organizer. sky sports; 2021. Available from: https://www.skysports. com/more-sports/athletics/news/29175/ 12475824/kathrine-switzer-first-woman-to-officially- run-boston-marathon-on-the-iconicmoment- she-was-attacked-by-the-race-organiser (accessed April 23, 2023).
7.
Leon-Guereno P, Tapia-Serrano M, Castaneda-Babarro A, Malchrowicz-Mosko E. Do sex, age, and marital status influence the motivations of amateur marathon runners? The Poznan Marathon case study. Front Psychol. 2020;11:2151; doi: http://10.3389/fpsyg.2020.0215....
8.
Whitehead A, Umeh K, Brockett C, Westerbeek H, Powling E, Davies K, Rudd J. Motivational differences between 5K, half marathon and full marathon participants in the UK and India. Manag Sport Leis. 2022;27(4):337–50; doi: 10.1080/237 50472.2020.1791236.
9.
Scheerder J, Breedveld K, Borgers J. (eds.) Running across Europe. The Rise and Size of One of the Largest Sport Markets. New York: Palgrave Macmillan; 2015.
10.
Boullosa D, Esteve-Lanao J, Casado A, Peyré-Tartaruga LA, Rosa RGd, Coso JD. Factors affecting training and physical performance in recreational endurance runners. Sports. 2020;8(3):35; doi: 10.3390/sports8030035.
11.
Eichenberger E, Knechtle B, Rüst C, Rosemann T, Lepers R. Age and sex interactions in mountain ultramarathon running – the Swiss Alpine Marathon. Open Access J Sports Med. 2012;3:73–80; doi: 10.2147/OAJSM.S33836.
12.
Eichenberger E, Knechtle B, Rüst CA, Lepers R, Rosemann T, Onywera VO. The aspect of nationality and performance in a mountain ultra-marathon- the ‘Swiss Alpine Marathon. J Hum Sport Exerc. 2012;7(4):748–62; doi: 10.4100/jhse.2012. 74.03.
13.
Rodríguez-Marroyo JA, González-Lázaro J, Arribas- Cubero HF, Villa JG. Physiological demands of moutain running races. Kinesiology. 2018;50(1): 60–6.
14.
Viljoen CT, Sewry N, Schwellnus MP, Janse van Rensburg DC, Swanevelder S, Jordaan E. Independent risk factors predicting gradual onset injury in 2824 trail running race entrants: SAFER XVIII study. Wilderness Environ Med. 2021;32(3): 293–301; doi: 10.1016/j.wem.2021.04.002.
15.
Best A, Braun B. Using a novel data resource to explore heart rate during mountain and road running. Physiol Rep. 2017;5(8):e13256; doi: 10.14814/ phy2.13256.
16.
Belinchón-deMiguel P, Ruisoto P, Knechtle B, Nikolaidis P, Herrera-Tapias B, Clemente-Suárez V. Predictors of athlete’s performance in ultra-endurance mountain races. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(3):956; doi: http://10.3390/ijerph 18030956.
17.
Mantzios K, Ioannou LG, Panagiotaki Z, Ziaka S, Périard JD, Racinais S, Nybo L, Flouris AD. Effects of weather parameters on endurance running performance: discipline-specific analysis of 1258 races. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2022;54(1): 153–61; doi: 10.1249/mss.0000000000002769.
18.
Hooren BV, Goudsmit J, Restrepo J, Vos S. Realtime feedback by wearables in running: current approaches, challenges and suggestions for improvements. J Sports Sci. 2020;38(2):214–30; doi: 10.1080/02640414.2019.1690960.
19.
Weiss K, Sousa CV, Thuany M, Cuk I, Nikolaidis PT, Knechtle B. Differences in pacing during cycling and running in ultra-triathlons – the example of ‘Swissultra’. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2022;26(14):4959–68; doi: 10.26355/eurrev_ 202207_29281.
20.
Knechtle B, Scheer V, Nikolaidis PT, Sousa CV. Participation and performance trends in the oldest 100-km ultramarathon in the world. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(1719); doi: 10.3390/ijerph17051719.
21.
Vitti A, Nikolaidis PT, Villiger E, Onywera V, Knechtle B. The “New York City Marathon”: participation and performance trends of 1.2M runners during half-century. Res Sports Med. 2020; 28(1):121–37; doi: 10.1080/15438627.2019.1586 705.
22.
Reusser M, Sousa CV, Villiger E, Cruz JRA, Hill L, Rosemann T, Nikolaidis PT, Knechtle B. Increased participation and decreased performance in recreational master athletes in “Berlin Marathon” 1974–2019. Front Physiol. 2021;12:631237; doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.631237.
23.
Thuany M, Gomes T, Villiger E, Weiss K, Scheer V, Nikolaidis P, Knechtle B. Trends in participation, sex differences and age of peak performance in time-limited ultramarathon events: a secular analysis. Medicina. 2022;58(3):366; doi: 10.3390/medicina58030366.
24.
133 stats on 5K running races in the US 2021. RunRepeat. Available from: https://runrepeat.com/ the-us-5k-stats-page (accessed February 24, 2024).
25.
Marathon Statistics 2019 Worldwide (Research). 2020. RunRepeat. Available from: https://runrepeat. com/research-marathon-performanceacross- nations (accessed March 07, 2020).
26.
Apollo M, Mostowska J, Legut A, Maciuk K, Timothy DJ. Gender differences in competitive adventure sports tourism. J Outdoor Recreat Tour. 2023;42:100604; doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j. jort.2022.100604.
27.
Mauvieux B, Hingrand C, Drigny J, Hodzic A, Baron P, Hurdiel R, Jouffroy R, Vauthier J-C, Pessiglione M, Wiehler A, Degache F, Pavailler S, Heyman E, Plard M, Noirez P, Dubois B, Esculier JF, Nguyen AP, Van Cant J, Baillargeon OR , de Fontenay BP, Delaunay PL, Besnard S. Study of the kinetics of the determinants of performance during a mountain ultramarathon: multidisciplinary protocol of the First Trail Scientifique de Clécy 2021. JMIR Res Protoc. 2022;11(6):e38027; doi: 10.2196/38027.
28.
Wolfrum M, Rüst CA, Rosemann T, Lepers R, Knechtle B. Changes in breaststroke swimming performances in national and international athletes competing between 1994 and 2011 – a comparison with freestyle swimming performances. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2014;6:18; doi: 10.1186/2052-1847-6-18.
29.
Andersen JJ. The State of Trail Running 2022 2022. Available from: https://runrepeat.com/thestate- of-trail-running-2022 (accessed April 23, 2023).
30.
Besson T, Macchi R, Rossi J, Morio CYM, Kunimasa Y, Nicol C, Vercruyssen F, Millet GY. Sex differences in endurance running. Sports Med. 2022; 52(6):1235–57; doi: 10.1007/s40279-022-01651-w.
31.
Helou NE, Tafflet M, Berthelot G, Tolaini J, Marc A, Guillaume M, Hausswirth C, Toussaint J-F. Impact of environmental parameters on marathon running performance. PloS One . 2012;7(5): e37407; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037407.
32.
Tiller NB, Elliott-Sale KJ, Knechtle B, Wilson PB, Roberts JD, Millet GY. Do sex differences in physiology confer a female advantage in ultra-endurance sport?. Sports Med. 2021;51(5):895–915; doi: 10.1007/s40279-020-01417-2.
33.
McClelland EL, Weyand PG. Sex differences in human running performance: smaller gaps at shorter distances?. J Appl Physiol. 2022;133(4): 876–85; doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00359.2022.
34.
Skroce K, Bettega S, D’Emanuele S, Boccia G, Schena F, Tarperi C. Flat versus simulated mountain trail running: a multidisciplinary comparison in well-trained runners. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(6):5189; doi: 10.3390/ ijerph20065189.
35.
Deelen I, Janssen M, Vos S, Kamphuis C, Ettema D. Attractive running environments for all? A crosssectional study on physical environmental characteristics and runners; motives and attitudes, in relation to the experience of the running environment. BMC Public Health. 2019;19(1):366; doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-6676-6.
36.
Kaplan J, Chalfin A. Ambient lighting, use of outdoor spaces and perceptions of public safety: evidence from a survey experiment. Security J. 2021; 35:694–724; doi: 10.1057/s41284-021-00296-0.
37.
Russell B, McDaid A, Toscano W, Hume P. Predicting fatigue in long duration mountain events with a single sensor and deep learning model. Sensors. 2021;21(16):5442; doi:10.3390/s21165442.
38.
Chambers TP, Poidomani J. “Like nothing I’ve seen before”: a qualitative inquiry into the lived experience of competing in a trail running event. Front Psychol. 2022;13:817685; doi: 10.3389/ fpsyg.2022.817685. This.
| eISSN: | 1899-1955 |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
