Adult age trends in record running performances

Abstract

Age trends in record running performances, over distances from 100 yards to the marathon, were analyzed for males between 40–74 years. Within event distances, an exponential model most accurately related performance time to age. In terms of this model, rate of age decline in running performance was greater for middle and longer distance events than for sprints. Within age-levels, linear and power models were highly accurate in relating performance time to event distance. A general model, that proved highly accurate in accounting for variance in performance times over the full age and distance ranges, expressed performance as the product of a power function of distance and an exponential function of age. Findings are discussed in terms of anaerobic and aerobic processes that underlie running performance at different event distances.