Best age to run a marathon

Researchers at the University of Madrid, Spain looked at and analyzed the finishing times of 45,000 runners at the 2014 New York Marathon to find the best age to run a marathon for both men and women.

The team looked at the top 10 male and female runners between the ages of 18 and 75. They found that marathon performance declined in a straight line after age 30. Although performance did decline after age 30, it did so in a bell-shaped curve, with a slight decline at first and then a steeper decline after age 55.

The “golden” age for marathon running is 27 for men and 29 for women. Marathon running times slow down by 4% each year at this age for both men and women, and slow down by 2% each year after that age for both men and women. So, on average, a 27-year-old male runner who runs a 3 hour 30 minute marathon will run 3 hours 34 minutes 12 seconds the following year. Meanwhile, a female runner who runs a 3 hour marathon at age 29 will run 3 hours 2 minutes 36 seconds the following year.

Runner Tommy Hughes encourages his son Eoin after finishing the Frankfurt Marathon on October 27, 2019. Photo: Derry Now

Interestingly and somewhat surprisingly, the study found that 18-year-old runners had times comparable to those in their 60s. This result may be partly explained by the fact that 60-year-old runners have more experience over the 26.5-mile distance.

The researchers used the example of Northern Irish runner Tommy Hughes, who at age 59 ran 2 hours 27 minutes 52 seconds at the Frankfurt Marathon on 27 October 2019. He finished four minutes ahead of his 34-year-old son Eoin, who ran 2 hours 31 minutes 30 seconds. Tommy and Eoin clocked a combined time of 4 hours 59 minutes 22 seconds – the Guinness World Record for the fastest father-son marathon.

VO2 Max is also related to differences in running performance at different ages. VO2 Max is a measure of the ability to use and metabolize oxygen during exercise. VO2 Max is measured in milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute (ml/kg/min). In general, the more oxygen the body can use - absorb and metabolize - the more energy the muscles will have to move. Therefore, VO2 Max is often used to reflect physical strength and endurance.

After Valencia, Tommy and his son Eoin underwent a variety of physiological tests, including a VO2 Max test. The results showed that father and son had very similar VO2 Max scores, with Tommy at 65.4 and Eoin at 66.9. This seemed to allow Tommy to run the entire 42.195km close to his VO2 Max.

The same goes for Gene Dykes, who ran a marathon in 2 hours, 54 minutes, 23 seconds in 2018 at the age of 70. This means that Gene Dykes ran the entire 42.195 km at 95% VO2 Max.

Gene Dykes runs with Jeannie Rice in a race in January 2021. Photo: Runners' World

Older runners can still do well in marathons because they can run close to their VO2 Max for longer periods of time. Another reason, according to a study published in the US National Library of Medicine, is that consistent exercise can counteract the decline in VO2 Max. This means that if you run for decades, your VO2 Max won’t decline at the same rate as your peers.

This is an interesting finding. Previously, a runner’s VO2 max was thought to decline after age 70. But new research shows that even as you age, you can still maintain good stamina and fitness.

But this is just one study of a marathon. People who start running later, train hard and persevere, can still run their fastest marathons in their 30s, 40s, 50s or 60s. Take Jo Schoonbroodt, a 71-year-old Belgian runner who just set a world record for over-70s with a time of 2 hours 54 minutes 19 seconds at the Maasmarathon of Vise. From Schoonbroodt's example, Runner's World concludes, "Your best, healthiest years are still ahead of you."

Hong Duy (according to Runners' World )

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