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New study: The 10k is increasing in popularity and on average, women are completing it faster than men (Read 265 times)

LRB


    "Researchers at Northwestern University have determined that since 2002, the 6.2-mile race has become increasingly appealing to not just elite runners and high school athletes, but everyday runners, too. Even more, runners are finishing 10Ks at faster times.


    Last year a record number of people ran a half marathon in the US—most of them women. What’s the deal?  Using data from ten of the most popular 10K races in the US, researchers looked at statistics from a total of 408,296 runners. Over time, they found that while both men and women are producing faster times, more women are completing the race in under one hour than men."

     

    (link)

    runbum


      The 10k is one of the most neglected race distances. It seems beginners mostly move on from a C25k program directly to a half-marathon, or even a full. Race directors like the 5k distance since it's more walker friendly, and more attainable for novice runners. Their are very few 10ks offered in my area, relative to 5ks.

       

      The 10k is more of a distance for serious runners. It's just a bit too long for most walkers and true novices. I bet a lot of the people attracted to the 10k distance have already crossed a half-marathon off their bucket list.

       

      The 10k seems to be almost the perfect race distance, as far as I'm concerned. It is a real endurance challenge to run it fast, but it requires a lot less recovery than a half.

       

      I never considered the 10k to be "middle distance", although that is how the article referred to it.


      CT JEFF

        I dont understand the conclusion that more women are completing it under 1 hour than men.

         

        Our study examines the current trends of runners participating in 10-kilometer road races in the United States. Finish times and ages of all runners participating in 10 of the largest 10-kilometer running races in the United States between 2002-2005 and 2011 were recorded. Linear regression analysis was performed to examine the trends for age, sex, and finishing time for all participants completing the course in less than one hour. A total of 408,296 runners were analyzed. There was a significant annual decrease in the ratio of men to women finishers (p < 0.001, r2 = 0.976). The average finishing time of the top 10 (men, p < 0.05), 100 (men & women, p < 0.05), and 1000 (men & women, p < 0.01) significantly decreased annually. The total number of sub-hour finishers increased annually across all races (194 men/yr, r2= 0.584, p = 0.045; 161 women/yr, r2= 0.779, p =0.008), while the percentage of overall finishers completing the course in less than an hour significantly declined for men and women (p <= 0.003). There was a significant trend toward younger men in all top groups except for the single fastest runner (p <= 0.017). Our study demonstrates that for large 10km U.S. races: the top men and women appear to be getting faster; there are more sub-hour finishers, with increasingly more women accomplishing this feat compared to men; an increasingly lower percentage of overall finishers are finishing in less than one hour; and the fastest men are also increasingly younger.

         

        http://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/publishahead/Performance_trends_in_large_10_kilometer_road.97646.aspx

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        Gang Name "Pound Cake"

          I never considered the 10k to be "middle distance", although that is how the article referred to it.

           

          I've always understood the 5K and the 10K to be the classic middle distance races. Am I wrong?

          - Scott

          2014 Goals: First Marathon - BQ2016 <3:40 (3:25:18) - 1/2M <1:45 - 5K <22:00

          2014 Marathons: 05/04 Flying Pig (3:49:02) - 09/20 Air Force (BQ 3:25:18) - 11/01 Indianapolis Monumental

          AmoresPerros


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            I've always understood the 5K and the 10K to be the classic middle distance races. Am I wrong?

             

            Depends on the audience. In track, 800 and 1500 are  classic middle distance races.

            It's a 5k. It hurt like hell...then I tried to pick it up. The end.

               In track, 800 and 1500 are  classic middle distance races.

              True. The 3000 is the confusing one--considered middle distance when run outdoors, but distance when run indoors. The 5 and 10k are always distance races.

              Runners run

              L Train


                The 10k seems to be almost the perfect race distance, as far as I'm concerned.

                 

                Masochism defined.

                 

                It's nearly the pain of a 5k that lasts over twice as long.

                 


                delicate flower

                   

                  Masochism defined.

                   

                  It's nearly the pain of a 5k that lasts over twice as long.

                   

                  Heh...I've only run a few 10K's, as they are certainly a negelcted distance 'round these parts.  In my last one, I hit mile 4 and thought "Crap, only halfway done!  This sucks!"   Big grin   I love the 10K though. 

                  <3

                  xhristopher


                     

                    Masochism defined.

                     

                    It's nearly the pain of a 5k that lasts over twice as long.

                     

                    I like 10Ks. They might hurt like hell but find they are easier for me to run correctly than a 5K. Usually by the end I'm just numb with pain, which somehow helps to finish strong. I guess that's a little but of masochism.

                      I'm with L Train on this one.  Pure evil.

                        I dont understand the conclusion that more women are completing it under 1 hour than men.

                         

                         

                        Agreed. The title of this thread does not appear to be accurate.  However, if anyone has access to the full study, it would be interesting to see if the changing ratio of male/female participants "fully explains" the changing ratio of male/female sub-1 hour finishers. Or if there is more to it?

                          Didn't the 10k used to be the de facto road race distance "back in the day" while the 5k gained popularity only in the past couple of decades?  I wasn't a runner then, but that is my impression.  Similar to has happened with the growth of the half vs full marathon.

                           

                          Anecdotally, I have not seen the 5k used as a stepping stone to the 10k.  From what I've seen, the 5k is universally accessible but each of the other race distances has a distinct audience.  In my area, I see what many consider to be "serious runners" taking on the 10k.

                           

                          Everybody else is smart enough to just avoid "nearly all the pain of a 5k that last over twice as long".

                          kcam


                            Didn't the 10k used to be the de facto road race distance "back in the day" while the 5k gained popularity only in the past couple of decades?  I wasn't a runner then, but that is my impression.  Similar to has happened with the growth of the half vs full marathon.

                             

                            Anecdotally, I have not seen the 5k used as a stepping stone to the 10k.  From what I've seen, the 5k is universally accessible but each of the other race distances has a distinct audience.  In my area, I see what many consider to be "serious runners" taking on the 10k.

                             

                            Everybody else is smart enough to just avoid "nearly all the pain of a 5k that last over twice as long".

                             

                            Exactly right.  I wasn't a runner 25 or 30 years ago but I know a lot of guys and gals that were.  These people were all focused on the 10K - they ran other distances but they talked about their times in terms of "10K-Equivalents".  So if they ran a 5K, 8K, 5mi, 12K or 10mile race over the weekend they discussed it in terms of 10K equivalent time.  It was THE standard distance race.

                              Didn't the 10k used to be the de facto road race distance "back in the day" while the 5k gained popularity only in the past couple of decades?  I wasn't a runner then, but that is my impression.  Similar to has happened with the growth of the half vs full marathon.

                               

                              Anecdotally, I have not seen the 5k used as a stepping stone to the 10k.  From what I've seen, the 5k is universally accessible but each of the other race distances has a distinct audience.  In my area, I see what many consider to be "serious runners" taking on the 10k.

                               

                              Everybody else is smart enough to just avoid "nearly all the pain of a 5k that last over twice as long".

                               

                              Though I don't claim to be the authority...

                               

                              I did nearly weekly road races back in the day (1977-1980) during high school and early college years. Most were oddball club runs around San Francisco in the 4-7 mile range. However if there were bigger races, they were almost always 10K's. I don't remember seeing many 5K's even offered. And the "Half" hadn't been invented yet (why would someone run a race based solely on a percentage of an established race distance?).

                               

                              I ran a couple of 5 mile races and one 20 race, but other that those it was either 10K or Marathon. At least that's how I remember it.

                              ScriptCal

                                Didn't the 10k used to be the de facto road race distance "back in the day" while the 5k gained popularity only in the past couple of decades?  I wasn't a runner then, but that is my impression.  Similar to has happened with the growth of the half vs full marathon.

                                 

                                Anecdotally, I have not seen the 5k used as a stepping stone to the 10k.  From what I've seen, the 5k is universally accessible but each of the other race distances has a distinct audience.  In my area, I see what many consider to be "serious runners" taking on the 10k.

                                 

                                Everybody else is smart enough to just avoid "nearly all the pain of a 5k that last over twice as long".

                                 

                                Exactly.

                                Runners run

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