Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships of marathon performance time (MPT) to maximal aerobic power (VO2max), 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 (x +/S.D.) were: age, 35.7 +/- 8.5 yr; height, 166.4 +/- 5.7 cm; weight, 55.1 +/5.7; body fat, 15.7 +/- 5.0; VO2max, 56.6 +/- 6.2 ml/kg/min. Marathon time for this race averaged 22.7.0 +/- 31.6 min. Records from individual training diaries indicated the runners averaged 71.0 +/- 10.0 workout days, 10.0 +/10.0 two/day workouts, 81.0 +/- 8.0 total workouts, 12.3 +/- 1.8 x km/workout, 5402.8 +/- 1302.6 total training min, 187.0 +/- 18.0 m/min training pace, 112.2 +/- 32.1 max km/wk, 83.1 +/- 23.4 x km/wk, 998.8 +/- 282.6 km/12 wk adn 13.8 +/- 2.4 x km/day. MPT was positively correlated to body mass index (r=0.52), and body fat (r=0.52) but negatively related to VO2max (r=0.065). MPT was also negatively related to previous marathons completed (r=0.47), workout days (r=0.47), two/day workouts (r=0.52), total workouts (r=0.56), x km/workout (r=-0.58), total training min (r=0.56), m/min, training pace (r=0.66), max km/wk (r=-0.70), x km/wk (r=-0.74), km/12 wk (r=-0.74), and x km/day (r=0.77). MPT for our population of runnrs may be predicted (r=0.82, R2=0.68) by the following equation: MPT, (min) = 449.88-7.61 (x km/ day run) -0.63 (m/min, training pace); SEE = +/- 18.4 min. Verf.-Referat