Pacing strategy in male elite and age group 100 km ultra-marathoners

Beat Knechtle,1,2 Thomas Rosemann,1 Matthias A Zingg,1 Michael Stiefel,1 Christoph A Rüst11Institute of Primary Care, University of Zurich, Zurich, 2Gesundheitszentrum St Gallen, St Gallen, SwitzerlandAbstract: Pacing strategy has been investigated in elite 100 km and elite 161 km (100 mile...

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Main Authors: Knechtle B (Author), Rosemann T (Author), Zingg MA (Author), Stiefel M (Author), Rüst CA (Author)
Format: Book
Published: Dove Medical Press, 2015-03-01T00:00:00Z.
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Summary:Beat Knechtle,1,2 Thomas Rosemann,1 Matthias A Zingg,1 Michael Stiefel,1 Christoph A R&uuml;st11Institute of Primary Care, University of Zurich, Zurich, 2Gesundheitszentrum St Gallen, St Gallen, SwitzerlandAbstract: Pacing strategy has been investigated in elite 100 km and elite 161 km (100 mile) ultra-marathoners, but not in age group ultra-marathoners. This study investigated changes in running speed over segments in male elite and age group 100 km ultra-marathoners with the assumption that running speed would decrease over segments with increasing age of the athlete. Running speed during segments in male elite and age group finishers for 5-year age groups (ie, 18&ndash;24 to 65&ndash;69 years) in the 100 km Lauf Biel in Switzerland was investigated during the 2000&ndash;2009 period. Average running speed over segment time station (TS) TS1&ndash;TS2 (56.1 km) was compared with running speed Start&ndash;TS1 (38 km) and Start&ndash;TS3 (76.7 km) and running speed TS2&ndash;TS3 was compared with running speed Start&ndash;Finish. For the top ten athletes in each edition, running speed decreased from 2000 to 2009 for TS1&ndash;TS2 and TS2&ndash;TS3 (P<0.0001) but not in TS3&ndash;Finish (P>0.05). During TS1&ndash;TS2, athletes were running at 98.0%&plusmn;2.1% of the running speed of Start&ndash;TS1. In TS2&ndash;TS3, they were running at 94.6%&plusmn;3.4% of the running speed of TS1&ndash;TS2. In TS3&ndash;Finish, they were running at 95.5%&plusmn;3.8% of running speed in TS2&ndash;TS3. For age group athletes, running speed decreased in TS1&ndash;TS2 and TS2&ndash;TS3. In TS3&ndash;Finish, running speed remained unchanged with the exception of the age group 40&ndash;44 years for which running speed increased. Running speed showed the largest decrease in the age group 18&ndash;24 years. To summarize, the top ten athletes in each edition maintained their running speed in the last segment (TS3&ndash;Finish) although running speed decreased over the first two segments (TS1&ndash;TS2 and TS2&ndash;TS3). The best pacers were athletes in the age group 40&ndash;44 years, who were able to achieve negative pacing in the last segment (TS3&ndash;Finish) of the race. The negative pacing in the last segment (TS3&ndash;Finish) was likely due to environmental conditions, such as early dawn and the flat circuit in segment TS3&ndash;Finish of the race.Keywords: running, men, long distance, master athlete
Item Description:1179-1543