Increase in finishers and improvement of performance of masters runners in the Marathon des Sables

Figures & data

Figure 1 Changes in the number of male and female finishers across the years.

Figure 2 Total numbers of male and female finishers per age group during the investigated 10-year period.

Figure 3 Change in the number of finishes per age group during the study period for women (A) and men (B).

Note: R² and P-value of linear regression are given in case of a significant change.

Table 1 Change in the number of female and male finishers per age group

Sex	Age group	r^2	P
Female	25–29	0.18	0.21
	30–34	0.50	0.021
	35–39	0.27	0.11
	40–44	0.06	0.48
	45–49	0.81	0.0004
	50–54	0.46	0.029
Male	18–24	0.004	0.85
	25–29	0.0002	0.96
	30–34	0.21	0.18
	35–39	0.64	0.0054
	40–44	0.67	0.0036
	45–49	0.77	0.0007
	50–54	0.72	0.0018
	55–59	0.42	0.041
	64–64	0.67	0.0038

Figure 4 Changes in the mean age of all male and female finishers during the study period.

Figure 5 Changes in the mean age of the annual top 25 male and female finishers during the study period.

Figure 6 Changes in running speed of the top five athletes per age group for women (A) and for men (B).

Note: R² and P-value of linear regression are given in case of a significant change during the study period.

Table 2 Change in running speed of female and male finishers per age group

Sex	Age group	r^2	P
Female	25–29	0.20	0.18
	30–34	0.0048	0.84
	35–39	0.15	0.25
	40–44	0.015	0.77
	45–49	0.10	0.36
	50–54	0.0046	0.85
Male	18–24	0.086	0.41
	25–29	0.14	0.27
	30–34	0.66	0.0039
	35–39	0.44	0.036
	40–44	0.51	0.019
	45–49	0.00065	0.94
	50–54	0.13	0.28
	55–59	0.0000039	0.98
	60–64	0.23	0.15

Figure 7 Mean (±SD) performance of the best 25 male and female finishers per age group during the 2003–2012 period.

Note: NS indicates age groups that were not significantly different from each other.
Abbreviations: SD, standard deviation; NS, not significant.