Age Differences, Age Changes, and Generalizability in Marathon Running by Master Athletes.

This study examines the world's Top 100 age class performance times by Master athletes in marathon running. The predominant paradigm for this type of research assumes that the outcomes represent a "virtual" cross-sectional study with important implications about aging. This article critiques this perspective and presents alternative models that include temporal dimensions that relate to cohort differences, age changes and historical transitions.