Marathon Specialization in Elites: A Head Start for Africans.

PURPOSE

To assess differences in event-specific specialization between elite African and non-African male marathon runners based on age, performance, and career length.

METHODS

The top 90 African marathoners from 2001 to 2015 were compared with the top 90 non-African marathoners from the same time period across various markers related to specialization age, performance, and career length. Independent t tests were used to identify significant differences (P < .05) between the African and non-African groups. Linear regression was used to explore the relationship between first half-marathon and best full-marathon performance. A 1-way ANOVA and Bonferroni correction was used to assess differences in specialization age and rates of performance improvement and decline.

RESULTS

African marathoners were found to specialize, reach peak levels of performance, and retire at younger ages than non-African marathoners (P < .001). In addition, African marathoners were found to be faster at these same career time points and in half-marathon performance (P < .001). There was no significant difference in the number of career marathons run between groups, but African marathoners were found to race more frequently than non-African marathoners (P < .001). Half-marathon performance was positively correlated with marathon performance (r = .67). Marathon athletes who specialized at early ages experienced significantly higher rates of improvement than those who specialized at older ages. (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that elite African marathoners achieve a greater level of performance at younger ages than their non-African counterparts. Furthermore, current marathon talent-identification practice may benefit from using half-marathon performance.