年齡與性別對長距離路跑賽事表現的影響

Effects of age and gender in performance of long-distance running competitions

緒論：長距離的路跑賽事，例如：9公里路跑、半程馬拉松及馬拉松的完賽時間，可以提供做為評估年齡與性別差異對耐力運動表現影響很好的機會。本研究的目的即在探討長距離路跑賽事中，男、女性各年齡分組前10名優秀跑者及所有完賽者在耐力運動表現上的差異。方法：本研究係從中華民國路跑協會網站下載已公開之2013年「台北富邦馬拉松」賽事中，9公里、半程馬拉松及馬拉松完賽者共31,783人的完賽時間，並以每10歲為一年齡組別，分析男、女各年齡組別前10名跑者及所有完賽者之平均完賽時間。結果：一、前10名平均完賽時間：9公里及半程馬拉松賽，男子和女子17-24歲組的平均完賽時間顯著低於35-44歲及其他更年長的組別 (p < .05)；馬拉松賽部分，則是男子25-34歲組顯著低於35-44歲及其他更年長的組別 (p < .05)；另外，三種不同距離賽事，女子55-64歲組前10名的完賽時間皆顯著高於45-54歲組 (p < .05)。二、所有完賽者平均完賽時間：男、女55-64歲組在9公里路跑的平均完賽時間與其他各年齡組並無顯著差異，但在半程馬拉松賽則顯著低於17-24歲及25-34歲組 (p < .05)；另外，馬拉松賽各年齡組間皆未達顯著差異。結論：從前10名完賽者平均表現的角度，34歲之前為9公里到全程馬拉松的較佳運動表現年齡，之後會逐漸下降，女性在54歲之後下降的情形更為顯著；但若以所有完賽者平均表現的角度而言，年長跑者規律的生活及運動習慣，將使其能保有不亞於一般年輕族群的有氧適能。

Introduction: Long-distance running competitions, such as marathon, half-marathon and 9 km race, could provide a well occasion to evaluate age-related changes and gender differences on endurance performance. The aim of this study was to discuss the performance of both genders and different age groups of the top 10 runners and all the other runners of long-distance running competitions. Methods: The data were based on Fubon Taipei Marathon 2013 event in Taiwan, from the event website by Chinese Taipei Road Running Association. Among the total number of 31,783 finishers, the age group was divided by every 10 years, and the average finish time of the male and female runners the 9-km, half marathon, and marathon was analyzed in the study. Results: 1. On the average finish time of the top 10 runners, it is significantly shorter among male and female 9-km and half-marathon runners of the age group of 17-24 than the top 10 runners of the age group of 35-44 and the other senior age groups (p < .05), while the marathon finish time of the male top 10 runners of the age group of 25-34 is significantly shorter than that of the age group of 35-44 and the other senior age groups (p < .05). Meanwhile, female top 10 finishers of the age group 55-64 in the three difference length race used the time significantly longer than the age group of 45-54 (p < .05). 2. On the average finish time of all finishers, there was no significant difference between the age group 55-64 and the other age groups in the 9-km road race; however, in the half-marathon, it is significantly shorter than the age group 17-24 and 25-34 (p < .05). On the other hand, the average finish time used by the top 10 finishers of all the age groups doesn’t show significant difference. Conclusions: In the aspect of running performance of top 10 runners, 34-year-old or a younger age is a better age for an athlete to achieve a better performance in the 9-km, half-marathon and marathon, and the performance will degrade here after, and female runners may show the downward more significantly after 54-year-old. However, in the aspect of finish time for all finishers, senior runners who keep regular life style and hours for training will achieve the competence of aerobic fitness not inferior to younger runners.