With plateaus reaching an average height of 1,500 meters — or 4,921 feet — above sea level, Kenyans get to experience “high-altitude training” daily, and such an environment lends itself well to running. Ethiopia's high central plateau ranges from 4,200 to 9,800 feet. At higher altitudes, air is thin and oxygen scarce.
Usain Bolt holds the record in several sprinting disciplines, but could he stand his ground in one of the most demanding long-distance races – a marathon? Usain Bolt hasn't run a marathon. The Jamaican sprinter only took part in short-distance track and field events and never competed in long-distance races.
Several factors have been proposed to explain the extraordinary success of the Kenyan and Ethiopian distance runners, including (1) genetic predisposition, (2) development of a high maximal oxygen uptake as a result of extensive walking and running at an early age, (3) relatively high hemoglobin and hematocrit, (4)
Average Marathon Time By Age
| Age | Men | Women |
|---|
| 0–15 | 4:53:53 | 6:04:11 |
| 16–19 | 4:16:19 | 4:50:23 |
| 20–24 | 4:01:55 | 4:28:59 |
| 25–29 | 4:06:43 | 4:27:14 |
Professional marathon runners are also skinny because they train so hard to sustain endurance. This prevents their bodies from bulking up because they burn almost all the calories that they consume. Unlike sprinters, who need muscles, marathon runners don't need muscles at all.
“Prepare for a long and painful recovery if you didn't train properly,” Fierras says. “Running a marathon without training can send you to the hospital and cause muscle strains, stress fractures, and long-term joint damage.”
Running 26.2 miles is never about the last 26.2 miles. It may seem it is but it's about the journey that got you to those specific miles. From the first day you started running to the time you crossed the finish line. So yes, it is still impressive.
A five hour finish time equates to an average pace of 11:27 per mile. You are not going to break any records or win any medals at that pace. That pace is a slow, easy jog. A five hour marathon time means you jogged a good portion of the distance.
Your immune system has taken a battering, your muscles are torn in lots of places and you won't fully recover for a few weeks. The fatigue leads to soreness and tightness in the muscles. This means that the runner starts to move slowly and inefficiently.
The world record for marathon times are 2:01:39 for men and 2:15:25 for women. Indeed, only the top 5 per cent of runners complete marathons in under three hours . So unless you're a professional runner, three hours or less would make for a very good marathon time.
Age: Runners between 30 and 50 years old typically have the best marathon times, averaging 4:24:00. Runners older than 70 tend to finish slower at 5:40:00 while people younger than 30 and between ages 50 and 60 finish around 4:33:00.
Invest the first week in short, light effort, low-impact cross-training activities that will boost circulation, warm your muscles, and aid in the healing journey (think: walking, cycling, swimming, or yoga). If all feels well later that week, run a short, easy-effort run (30 minutes) to test the waters.
What Is the Average Marathon Time? If you're an avid runner and enjoy competing in races, you might set your sights on running the 26.2 miles of a marathon. Training for and running a marathon is a notable achievement.
"If you're unable to run a marathon in under 6 hours, that's fine. There is no shame. The fact that you're running at all is amazing and you're way ahead of the great majority of the general population. But if you're in that camp where you're not quite at that level, stick to half-marathons.
