Beginners and Beyond

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Gender Differences at Races (Read 108 times)

Half Crazy K 2.0


    I did a local 5k yesterday. It was a first year event, the race management company is established. There were just under 300 people. Women far outnumbered the men (I came up with 180 F, 108 M, may not be 100%). That in itself isn't too unusual for the area. What are unusual are the results. Has anyone ever seen results like this? FYI, 40-49 year old men, this is not typical, don't start planning a trip to the area to dominate the AG. 

     

    Aside from a recent super small 5k that had under 40 finishers and only 5 men, I don't think I have ever seen men's results even in smaller races were the top AG guys aren't around 22 minutes or faster, especially 40-49.

     

    So wondering, are women more likely than men to sign up for the "cause" races? Are more women in general doing races? Is there something I am missing? Maybe men are more selective?

     

    Of course the AG that has been more competitive this year is F 30-39, lucky me.

    catwhoorg


    Labrat

      In the state of the sport articles from memory, the only common race distance with a male majority is the marathon. Overall there has been a huge growth in women running in the last decade.

      5K  20:23  (Vdot 48.7)   9/9/17

      10K  44:06  (Vdot 46.3)  3/11/17

      HM 1:33:48 (Vdot 48.6) 11/11/17

      FM 4:13:43 (Vdot 35.4) 3/4/18

       

      LRB


        In the state of the sport articles from memory, the only common race distance with a male majority is the marathon. Overall there has been a huge growth in women running in the last decade.

         

        Yeah I believe the distance of choice for women was the half marathon, by a lot.  I think the 10k was second (at least in terms of finishers which I posted a thread about once) but do not quote me on either....meaning I am probably wrong. 

          Anything unusually tough about the course?

           

           

           

          wcrunner2


          Are we there, yet?

            For whatever reason, the men's times for the 11-19 through 40-49 AGs are unusually slow. Nothing unusual about the women's times for any of the AGs. I'd really like to see full results to see if family members were running together which might account for the skewing of times.

             2024 Races:

                  03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles

                  05/11 - D3 50K
                  05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour

                  06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.

             

             

                 

            Half Crazy K 2.0


              Anything unusually tough about the course?

              Nope. Total of 4 laps around the high school track, 2 at the start and two at the end, plus an out and back through the neighborhood. About 100 feet of elevation gain, for this area, that's almost flat.

              Half Crazy K 2.0


                For whatever reason, the men's times for the 11-19 through 40-49 AGs are unusually slow. Nothing unusual about the women's times for any of the AGs. I'd really like to see full results to see if family members were running together which might account for the skewing of times.

                 

                Full results.

                 

                I'm always surprised that there aren't more teens in the races that have been held at or benefited the local high schools. Although I guess 8am is considered the middle of the night for the teen crew.

                  Yeah the M40-49 AG is just freakish, almost looks like some kind of mistake. There were 8 men of 50+ finishing ahead of the 40-49 winner. Guess it's just one of those flukey things, in a small race it just depends on who happens to show up. Was there another nearby race the same day?

                  Dave

                  LRB


                    Full results.

                     

                    I'm always surprised that there aren't more teens in the races that have been held at or benefited the local high schools. Although I guess 8am is considered the middle of the night for the teen crew.

                     

                    Not sure about there but in the Big Mitten there are literally a shit ton of events to choose from on any given weekend.  So where one race may be devoid of a particular segment of runners, the one in the next town on the same day is teeming with them.

                     

                    My season race calendar is kid of set up where I get a little of both; the events where I hope to place in the top 50 overall, and those where if things go right I have a shot to place or win my age group, or better.

                    Love the Half


                      Nothing really stands out to me other than the 40-49 AG Male results which are astoundingly slow.  Even the overall male results, while slower than I normally see, aren't completely off the mark as I have seen plenty of overall winner results approaching 20 minutes.  I think it's just a function of who showed up that day.  As someone in the 50-59 AG, I find that, at least in local 5Ks it is either completely uncompetitive and I finish 3-5 minutes ahead of the next AG competitor or it is insanely competitive and the top 3 are all within less than two minutes.  In this one, the top 3 in my AG all finished within 30 seconds.

                      Short term goal: 17:59 5K

                      Mid term goal:  2:54:59 marathon

                      Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life.  (I started running at age 45).

                      Half Crazy K 2.0


                        LRB and Dave P, there were few races this weekend, which is really unusual for the Baltimore area. There were a few events on the 4th (10k and 6k that have been around a while and a new 5k), nothing on Saturday and this race and a trail race in Sunday. The trail race was farther away and cost more. Usually there are multiple events, and that's just out in my part of the 'burbs. If I was more willing to pay the state $8 to drive through the tunnels there'd be even more to choose from.

                          Nothing really stands out to me other than the 40-49 AG Male results which are astoundingly slow.  Even the overall male results, while slower than I normally see, aren't completely off the mark as I have seen plenty of overall winner results approaching 20 minutes.  I think it's just a function of who showed up that day.  As someone in the 50-59 AG, I find that, at least in local 5Ks it is either completely uncompetitive and I finish 3-5 minutes ahead of the next AG competitor or it is insanely competitive and the top 3 are all within less than two minutes.  In this one, the top 3 in my AG all finished within 30 seconds.

                           

                          You have a much different definition of insanely competitive than I do.  Wink  A two minute spread for the top 3 is an eternity in a 5K.

                           

                          This was a slow 5K. Nothing wrong with that and it is a function of who shows up but the 40-49 AG is especially unusual for a 5K race of that size in my opinion.

                           

                           

                           

                            Woman at work the day after a HM: "OMG Ashley, I did a half marathon yesterday!"

                            Ashley: "OMG you are awesome, mad jelly of you!  Let's see the FB selfies and your 13.1 magnet!"

                             

                            Guy at work the day after a HM:  "Hey bro, I ran a half marathon yesterday!"

                            Bro: "Oh, my wife did that while I was watching NASCAR.  Why the hell would you want to run that far?"


                            Hip Redux

                               

                              So wondering, are women more likely than men to sign up for the "cause" races? .

                               

                              This is generally true, yes - one of my friends went to a seminar on attracting participants to charity events (running, biking) and according to the various focus groups someone there had studied, women will sign up for things if they like the charity and cause.   Men use a different decision process.

                               

                              LRB


                                Men use a different decision process.

                                 

                                Is is flat and fast?  Sheeit, sign me up then!

                                 

                                Wait, what's that?  it's the week after my goal event?

                                 

                                Hmm, you said it's flat and fast right?

                                 

                                Sheeit, sign me up then!

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