Across her interview subjects, runners tended to cite three primary motivators: freedom, achievement and competition. But less obviously, Egan-Wyger also suggests endurance running can also be a way of gaining social status.
Showing you are capable of a long-distance race projects qualities of health, productivity and efficiency to others, she argues, akin to cultivating a personal brand. This effect is only supercharged through social fitness apps that allow runners to share their achievements.
This may dovetail with research by Jenna Gilchrist at the University of Toronto and colleagues about the role of pride during training and races. Those who experienced greater pride about their running tended to put greater effort and time into their training. Marathon runners might not all get medals, but they do win a measure of social status Credit: Getty Images.
There is, however, also some evidence that motivations differ between the sexes. In one study of runners in Poland , researchers concluded that "female marathon finishers were more motivated than men by weight concern, affiliation, psychological coping, life meaning, and self-esteem, but less motivated by the competition.
Intriguingly, studies also suggest there are also differences in pacing and performance between the sexes over long distances — see "The female advantage".
A final commonly cited motivation for running long-distance is the feeling that follows — the so-called "runner's high". So, what exactly is going on in the brain for marathon runners? It's commonly thought that hormones called endorphins play a role, but the calm, relaxed feeling that some people report may instead be due to a rise in endocannabinoids in the bloodstream. Unlike endorphins, these can pass into the brain. During long-distance running, the brain may also dilute the memory of pain.
In , Dominika Farley of Jagiellonian University in Poland and colleagues drew parallels between the pain from giving birth and from marathon running. Both tend to be underestimated when later recalled, which may be explained by the release of oxytocin in the brain which influences how the memory is encoded, say the researchers. Asia 51 Races.
North America 60 Races. Africa 27 Races. Italy 23 Races. United States of America 39 Races. Runners Stories. Read more stories. Runners Story - Carolina. Continue Reading. Runners in Spotlight - Virginia.
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Hello, and thanks for asking for reliable statistics on marathon participation in the US and globally.
The short version is that there are 1 marathons in the US each year, with participants. Globally, there are between 2 and 4 marathons each year with approximately 11 million marathon runners. By searching through industry reports and trusted media sites, as well as reports from some of the bigger marathons in the world, I was able to obtain sufficient information to provide reported statistics on the first two parts of the question and was able to deduce an answer to the third part based on that.
The most valuable sources were the U. Marathon report , the global marathon calendar as well as the reports of the London and Los Angeles marathons.
Of these the New York Marathon is the largest, with more than 50 finishers in , followed by the Chicago Marathon 40 finishers and the Boston Marathon 31 finishers. Globally: There was no direct report available on the global number of marathons held per year, but according to global marathon site, Ahota Marathons , there are 2 marathons in their - season available to enter across the world.
At the same time, World's Marathons have 3 marathons available to enter on their global entry website. Women are actually 0. For all other distances, men are faster than women. Across age groups, most ultra runners run at a pace of about 14 minutes and 40 seconds per mile.
Trail Running Statistics. There are about 1. There are more than 25, trail races races of varying distances held on unpaved surfaces worldwide each year.
Running Statistics by Age. The average running age is getting older, from 35 in to 39 in , according to the IIRM. The average age for 5K runners is about The average age for 10K runners is about The average age for half-marathon runners is about The average age for marathon runners is about Consistently, runners over the age of 70 have the slowest reported finish times, across race distances.
The fastest marathon finishers are within the to year-old age bracket. Generally, women achieved their best half-marathon performance at an earlier age than men. Only about The oldest person ever to run a marathon is Fauja Singh , who ran the Toronto Marathon in at years old, according to the Associated Press.
Running Statistics by Sex. Both men and women which is how this report categorized gender run their fastest during half-marathon races, according to the IIRM. The average 5K pace is 7 minutes and 4 seconds per kilometer for men and 8 minutes and 18 seconds for women.
The average 10K pace is 5 minutes and 51 seconds per kilometer for men and 6 minutes and 58 seconds for women. The average half-marathon pace is 5 minutes and 40 seconds per kilometer for men and 6 minutes and 22 seconds for women. The average marathon pace is 6 minutes and 43 seconds per kilometer for men and 7 minutes and 26 seconds for women. Generally, women tend to start and stop racing earlier in life. The median age of female runners is about 36, according to the IIRM.
Male race participation usually peaks at around 40 years old. Iceland has the highest percentage of women racers in the world. Running Groups That Promote Diversity Information on running demographics around race and ethnicity is limited. Professional Running Statistics. Men's Running Records.
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