Predicting race time in male amateur marathon runners

The aim of the study was to analyze the relationship between anthropometry, training characteristics, muscular strength and effort-related cardiovascular response and marathon race time in male amateur runners. A total of 84 male amateur marathon runners aged between 23 and 70 years took part in this study (41.0±9.5 years). All of them competed in the 2013 edition of the Madrid Marathon with a finish time between 169.8 and 316 min (226.0±28.5 min). Age, running experience, number of marathon races finished, mean kilometres run weekly in the last three months, and previous personal best time in the 10 km, half marathon and marathon were recorded. Moreover, anthropometric characteristics, and the results from the Ruffier test and a whole-body isometric force test were measured. After the marathon, the race time was registered. Training volume (r=-0.479; P=0.001), previous running milestones (marathon r=0.756; half-marathon r=0.812; 10-km r= 0.732; P<0.001), cardiovascular fitness (...