Marathon performance in relation to maximal aerobic power and training indices in female distance runners.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships of marathon performance time (MPT) to maximal aerobic power (VO2 max), physical characteristics, and training indices recorded for 12 weeks prior to a race in 35 female distance runners. The marathon experience of the subjects ranged from two to fifteen races. Physical and aerobic power characteristics (mean +/- S.D.) were: age, 35.7 +/- 8.5 yr; height, 166.4 +/- 5.7 cm; weight, 55.1 +/- 5.7 kg; body fat, 15.7 +/- 5.0%; VO2 max, 56.5 +/- 6.2 ml . kg-1 . min-1. Marathon time for this race averaged 227.0 +/- 31.6 min. Records from individual training diaries indicated the runners averaged 71.0 +/- 10.0 workout days, 10.0 +/- 10.0 two X day-1 workouts, 81.0 +/- 8.0 total workouts, 12.3 +/- 1.8 mean km . workout-1, 5402.8 +/- 1302.6 total training min, 187.0 +/- 18.0 m . min-1 training pace, 112.2 +/- 32.1 max km . wk-1, 83.1 +/- 23.4 mean km . wk-1, 998.8 +/- 282.6 km . 12 wk-1 and 13.8 +/- 2.4 mean km . day-1. MPT was positively correlated to body mass index (r = 0.52), and body fat (r = 0.52) but negatively related to VO2 max (r = -0.65). MPT was also negatively related to previous marathons completed (r = -0.47), workout days (r = -0.47), two X day-1 workouts (r = -0.52), total workouts (r = -0.56), mean km . workout-1 (r = -0.58), total training min (r = -0.56), m . min-1, training pace (r = -0.66), max km . wk-1 (r = -0.70), mean km . wk-1 (r = -0.74), km . 12 wk-1 (r = -0.74), and mean km . day-1 (r = -0.77). MPT for our population of runners may be predicted (r = 0.82, R2 = 0.68) by the following equation: MPT, (min) = 449.88 - 7.61 (-/x km.day-1 run) - 0.63 (m.min-1, training pace); SEE = +/- 18.4 min.