title: Relationship between age and elite marathon race time in world single age records from 5 to 93 years.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aims of the study were (i) to investigate the relationship between elite marathon race times and age in 1-year intervals by using the world single age records in marathon running from 5 to 93 years and (ii) to evaluate the sex difference in elite marathon running performance with advancing age.
  
  
  METHODS
  World single age records in marathon running in 1-year intervals for women and men were analysed regarding changes across age for both men and women using linear and non-linear regression analyses for each age for women and men.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The relationship between elite marathon race time and age was non-linear (i.e. polynomial regression 4(th) degree) for women and men. The curve was U-shaped where performance improved from 5 to ~20 years. From 5 years to ~15 years, boys and girls performed very similar. Between ~20 and ~35 years, performance was quite linear, but started to decrease at the age of ~35 years in a curvilinear manner with increasing age in both women and men. The sex difference increased non-linearly (i.e. polynomial regression 7(th) degree) from 5 to ~20 years, remained unchanged at ~20 min from ~20 to ~50 years and increased thereafter. The sex difference was lowest (7.5%, 10.5 min) at the age of 49 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elite marathon race times improved from 5 to ~20 years, remained linear between ~20 and ~35 years, and started to increase at the age of ~35 years in a curvilinear manner with increasing age in both women and men. The sex difference in elite marathon race time increased non-linearly and was lowest at the age of ~49 years.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Primary Care, Zurich, Switzerland ; Gesundheitszentrum St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Beat
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Knechtle
authors.affiliation: INSERM U1093, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Burgundy, Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Assadi
authors.affiliation: INSERM U1093, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Burgundy, Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Romuald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lepers
authors.affiliation: Institute of Primary Care, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rosemann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Primary Care, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christoph Alexander
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Rüst
keywords: Boys; Girls; Master runner; Performance; Running; Sex difference