The association of origin and environmental conditions with performance in professional IRONMAN triathletes.

We have (i) little knowledge about where the fastest professional IRONMAN triathletes originate from and where the fastest races take place and (ii) we have no knowledge of the optimal weather conditions for an IRONMAN triathlon. The aims of the present study were, therefore, (i) to investigate the origin and the fastest IRONMAN race courses for professional triathletes and (ii) to evaluate the best environmental conditions (i.e.

The fastest nonprofessional age group IRONMAN triathletes in the world originate from Europe.

It is well known that elite athletes of specific ethnicities and/or nationalities dominate certain sports disciplines (e.g., East Africans in marathon running).

Sex Differences in Participation and Performance Trends in Time-Limited Ultramarathon Events.

We aimed to analyze sex differences in time-limited ultramarathon participation, while also identifying trends in participation, age, and performance across different formats of events, from 1990 to 2020. This is an exploratory study, using data obtained from the official event web pages. We downloaded information regarding the year of the event, athletes' year of birth, sex, race event, ranking, and mean running speed (km/h).

Analysis of the 10-day ultra-marathon using a predictive XG boost model.

Objective: Ultra-marathon running races are held as distance-limited or time-limited events, ranging from 6 h to 10 days. Only a few runners compete in 10-day events, and so far, we have little knowledge about the athletes' origins, performance, and event characteristics. The aim of the present study was to investigate the origin and performance of these runners and the fastest race locations.

The influence of origin and race location on performance in IRONMAN® age group triathletes.

Background: The IRONMAN® (IM) triathlon is a popular multi-sport, where age group athletes often strive to qualify for the IM World Championship in Hawaii. The aim of the present study was to investigate the location of the fastest IM racecourses for age group IM triathletes. This knowledge will help IM age group triathletes find the best racecourse, considering their strengths and weaknesses, to qualify.

Associations between environmental factors and running performance: An observational study of the Berlin Marathon.

Extensive research has delved into the impact of environmental circumstances on the pacing and performance of professional marathon runners. However, the effects of environmental conditions on the pacing strategies employed by marathon participants in general remain relatively unexplored. This study aimed to examine the potential associations between various environmental factors, encompassing temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, precipitation, sunshine, cloud cover, wind speed, and dew point, and the pacing behavior of men and women.

Sex difference in IRONMAN age group triathletes.

Background: The sex difference in athletic performance has been thoroughly investigated in single sport disciplines such as swimming, cycling, and running. In contrast, only small samples of long-distance triathlons, such as the IRONMAN® triathlon, have been investigated so far.

Aim: The aim of the study was to examine potential sex differences in the three split disciplines by age groups in 5-year intervals in a very large data set of IRONMAN® age group triathletes.

Europe has the fastest Ironman race courses and the fastest Ironman age group triathletes.

The majority of participants in Ironman triathlon races are age group athletes. We have extensive knowledge about recreational athletes' training and competition participation. Nonetheless, Ironman age group triathletes must achieve fast race times to qualify for the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii.

Using machine learning to determine the nationalities of the fastest 100-mile ultra-marathoners and identify top racing events.

The present study intended to determine the nationality of the fastest 100-mile ultra-marathoners and the country/events where the fastest 100-mile races are held. A machine learning model based on the XG Boost algorithm was built to predict the running speed from the athlete's age (Age group), gender (Gender), country of origin (Athlete country) and where the race occurred (Event country). Model explainability tools were then used to investigate how each independent variable influenced the predicted running speed.

Analysis of over 1 million race records shows runners from East African countries as the fastest in 50-km ultra-marathons.

The 50-km ultra-marathon is a popular race distance, slightly longer than the classic marathon distance. However, little is known about the country of affiliation and age of the fastest 50-km ultra-marathon runners and where the fastest races are typically held. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate a large dataset of race records for the 50-km distance race to identify the country of affiliation and the age of the fastest runners as well as the locations of the fastest races.

Cycling is the most important predictive split discipline in professional Ironman® 70.3 triathletes.

Introduction: Our study examined 16,611 records of professional triathletes from 163 Ironman® 70.3 races across 97 countries (2004-2020). The aim was to identify the most predictive discipline-swim, bike, or run-for overall race time.

An analysis of the São Silvestre race between 2007-2021: An increase in participation but a decrease in performance.

This study aimed to investigate the trends of finishers in the São Silvestre race in Brazil, taking into account sex, age, and performance levels. A total of 31 ​775 runners (women,  ​= ​13 ​847; men,  ​= ​17 ​928), aged (45.2 ​± ​16.

The pacing differences in performance levels of marathon and half-marathon runners.

Introduction: Many studies indicate a considerable impact of optimal pacing on long-distance running performance. Given that the amount of carbohydrates in metabolic processes increases supralinearly with the running intensity, we may observe differences between the pacing strategies of two long-distance races and different performance levels of runners. Accordingly, the present study aimed to examine the differences in pacing strategies between marathon and half-marathon races regarding the performance levels of runners.

Performance and pacing of professional IRONMAN triathletes: the fastest IRONMAN World Championship ever-IRONMAN Hawaii 2022.

Pacing during cycling and running in an IRONMAN triathlon has been investigated in only one study with elite IRONMAN triathletes. We have, however, no knowledge of how professional triathletes pace during an IRONMAN World Championship. To investigate the split-by-split speed, pacing strategies and pacing variability in professional female and male IRONMAN World Championship participants in the fastest IRONMAN World Championship ever in IRONMAN Hawaii 2022.

Comparing the Performance Gap Between Males and Females in the Older Age Groups in IRONMAN® 70.3: An Internet-Based Cross-Sectional Study of More Than 800,000 Race Records.

Background: The sex difference in the three split disciplines (swimming, cycling, and running) and overall race times in triathlon races has mainly been investigated for the Olympic distance and IRONMAN® triathlon formats, but not for the half IRONMAN® distance, i.e., the IRONMAN® 70.

Predicting overall performance in Ironman 70.3 age group triathletes through split disciplines.

Knowing which discipline contributes most to a triathlon performance is important to plan race pacing properly. To date, we know that the running split is the most decisive discipline in the Olympic distance triathlon, and the cycling split is the most important discipline in the full-distance Ironman triathlon. However, we have no knowledge of the Ironman 70.

A Machine Learning Approach to Finding the Fastest Race Course for Professional Athletes Competing in Ironman 70.3 Races between 2004 and 2020.

Our purpose was to find the fastest race courses for elite Ironman 70.3 athletes, using machine learning (ML) algorithms. We collected the data of all professional triathletes competing between 2004 and 2020 in Ironman 70.

A macro to micro analysis to understand performance in 100-mile ultra-marathons worldwide.

The purposes of this study were (i) to describe differences in participation in 100-mile ultra-marathons by continent; (ii) to investigate differences in performance between continents; and (iii) to identify the fastest runners by continent and country. Data from 148,169 athletes (119,408 men), aged 18-81 years, and finishers in a 100-miles ultra-marathon during 1870-2020 were investigated. Information about age, gender, origin, performance level (top three, top 10, top 100) was obtained.

Relationship between running performance and weather in elite marathoners competing in the New York City Marathon.

It is well known that weather and pacing have an influence on elite marathon performance. However, there is limited knowledge about the effect of weather on running speed in elite marathoners. The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to investigate potential associations between running speed and weather variables in elite runners competing in the 'New York City Marathon' between 1999 and 2019.

Temperature and barometric pressure are related to running speed and pacing of the fastest runners in the 'Berlin Marathon'.

Objective: The influence of environmental conditions, such as temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, precipitation, sunshine and cloud cover on marathon running has been widely investigated. However, the influence of such conditions on the pacing of elite marathoners has not been considered yet. The present study aimed to investigate whether environmental conditions are related to the running speed and pacing of the fastest marathoners competing in the fastest racecourse in the world, the 'Berlin Marathon'.

The Influence of Environmental Conditions on Pacing in Age Group Marathoners Competing in the "New York City Marathon".

The two aspects of the influence of environmental conditions on marathon running performance and pacing during a marathon have been separately and widely investigated. The influence of environmental conditions on the pacing of age group marathoners has, however, not been considered yet. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between environmental conditions (i.

The Effects of Sex, Age and Performance Level on Pacing in Ultra-Marathon Runners in the 'Spartathlon'.

Background: Pacing has been investigated in different kinds of ultra-marathon races, but not in one of the toughest ultra-marathons in the world, the 'Spartathlon'.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to analyse the pacing of female and male finishers competing in the 'Spartathlon' in regards to their age and performance groups.

Methods: A total of 2598 runners (2255 men and 343 women) finishing 'Spartathlon' between 2011 and 2019 were analysed.

Trends in Participation, Sex Differences and Age of Peak Performance in Time-Limited Ultramarathon Events: A Secular Analysis.

Background and Objectives: Increases in the number of participants in time-limited ultra-marathons have been reported. However, no information is available regarding the trends in participation, performance and age in 12 h and 24 h time-limited events. The aim of the study was to describe the trends in runners’ participation, performance and age in 12 h and 24 h ultra-marathons for both sexes and to identify the age of peak performance, taking into account the ranking position and age categories.

The Sex Difference in 6-h Ultra-Marathon Running-The Worldwide Trends from 1982 to 2020.

The 6-h ultra-marathon is the shortest time-limited ultra-marathon race, but little has been investigated regarding this race format. Previously, only the age of peak performance in the context of longer time-limited ultra-marathons was determined. The purpose of this study was to investigate the trends in 6-h ultra-marathon races from 1982 to 2020 for female and male ultra-runners, the participation and performance by countries, the age of peak performance, and the differences in performance regarding countries.