Performance trends of seasoned Two Oceans Ultramarathon runners
type: CreativeWork
description: Background: Endurance running is known to be a prevalent sport, due to well-understood health benefits. Ultramarathon running, particularly in master athletes, has been increasingly popular. Various parameters of an individual's ability to participate in numerous such events have been explored. The performance trends of such seasoned runners have been of interest to identify trends that could influence participation and running career longevity. Aim To identify performance trends of seasoned ultramarathon runners across their Two Oceans Ultramarathon running careers. Specific Objectives The specific objectives were to 1) describe the profile of seasoned ultramarathon runners who have completed 20 or more Two Oceans Ultramarathon races, including sex, number of ultramarathons completed, medal category of peak performance and age at debut Two Oceans Ultramarathon; 2) to determine average performance, peak performance, worst performance and the pattern of improvement or decline in performance in seasoned ultramarathon runners over 20 years of race participation; 3) to determine differences in factors that may influence performance trends, such as sex, number of ultramarathons completed, medal category of peak performance and age at debut Two Oceans Ultramarathon; and 4) to determine the variation in ultramarathon performance based on the sex, number of ultramarathons completed, medal category of peak performance and age at debut Two Oceans Ultramarathon. Methods Data from 625 runners who completed 20 or more Two Oceans Ultramarathons were extracted from a publicly available website (www.twooceansmarathon.org). Finish times across their running careers were used to establish average race speeds, peak and worst performances, changes in performance over time, and coefficients of variation in performance. Groups were compared according to a) sex, b) number of Two Oceans Ultramarathons completed (20 or more than 20), c) age category of debut race, and d) medal category of p…
abstract: Background: Endurance running is known to be a prevalent sport, due to well-understood health benefits. Ultramarathon running, particularly in master athletes, has been increasingly popular. Various parameters of an individual's ability to participate in numerous such events have been explored. The performance trends of such seasoned runners have been of interest to identify trends that could influence participation and running career longevity. Aim To identify performance trends of seasoned ultramarathon runners across their Two Oceans Ultramarathon running careers. Specific Objectives The specific objectives were to 1) describe the profile of seasoned ultramarathon runners who have completed 20 or more Two Oceans Ultramarathon races, including sex, number of ultramarathons completed, medal category of peak performance and age at debut Two Oceans Ultramarathon; 2) to determine average performance, peak performance, worst performance and the pattern of improvement or decline in performance in seasoned ultramarathon runners over 20 years of race participation; 3) to determine differences in factors that may influence performance trends, such as sex, number of ultramarathons completed, medal category of peak performance and age at debut Two Oceans Ultramarathon; and 4) to determine the variation in ultramarathon performance based on the sex, number of ultramarathons completed, medal category of peak performance and age at debut Two Oceans Ultramarathon. Methods Data from 625 runners who completed 20 or more Two Oceans Ultramarathons were extracted from a publicly available website (www.twooceansmarathon.org). Finish times across their running careers were used to establish average race speeds, peak and worst performances, changes in performance over time, and coefficients of variation in performance. Groups were compared according to a) sex, b) number of Two Oceans Ultramarathons completed (20 or more than 20), c) age category of debut race, and d) medal category of p…
author: Noll, Helena
keywords: master athletes, ultramarathon, Two Oceans Ultramarathon
date published: 2020
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:23:02Z
provider: University of Cape Town
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/32893