But when calculated by gender, women fared better. "Women's superiority in pacing over men increased from cold to the hot racing conditions," the authors write. This is likely, they say, because women have a greater body surface area relative to mass than men, which allows more heat to escape through the skin.
All this changes with elites. The findings show no differences in pacing between male or female elite runners under both racing conditions. And when you compare elite and non-elite runners, not surprisingly elites were better at pacing than recreational athletes in both races.
The researchers note that the 2007 Chicago Marathon was canceled midway into the event and runners who did not reach the half-way mark by 3 hours and 35 minutes were not permitted to finish. This likely had some bearing on the findings. And other variables, like training, fueling and weather acclimation, of course also influence pace.
And while the study suggests that non-elite women may have a one-up on men when it comes to pacing, particularly in hot weather, the real takeaway is that experience trumps gender. Both elite male and female runners are excellent pacers, not necessarily because they're fast, but because they know their bodies, are mentally tough and they practice pacing—something all runners can benefit from.
This article originally appeared on RunnersWorld.com
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