Participation and performance trends in ultracycling

Abstract

BackgroundParticipation and performance trends have been investigated in ultramarathons and ultratriathlons but not in ultracycling. The aim of the present study was to investigate (1) participation and performance trends in ultraendurance cyclists, (2) changes in cycling speed over the years, and (3) the age of the fastest male and female ultraendurance cyclists.MethodsParticipation and performance trends in the 5000 km Race Across America (RAAM) and in two RAAM-qualifier races – the 818 km Furnace Creek 508 in the United States and the 715 km Swiss Cycling Marathon in Europe – were investigated using linear regression analyses and analyses of variance.ResultsOn average, ~41% of participants did not finish either the RAAM or the Furnace Creek 508, whereas ~26% did not finish the Swiss Cycling Marathon. Female finishers accounted for ~11% in both the RAAM and the Furnace Creek 508 but only ~3% in the Swiss Cycling Marathon. The mean cycling speed of all finishers remained unchanged during the studied periods. The winner’s average speed was faster for men than for women in the RAAM (22.6 ± 1.1 km · h−1 versus 18.4 ± 1.7 km · h−1, respectively; average speed difference between male and female winners, 25.0% ± 11.9%), the Swiss Cycling Marathon (30.8 ± 0.8 km · h−1 versus 24.4 ± 1.9 km · h−1, respectively; average speed difference between male and female winners, 27.8% ± 9.4%), and the Furnace Creek 508 (27.4 ± 1.6 km · h−1 versus 23.4 ± 3.0 km · h−1, respectively; average speed difference between male and female winners, 18.4% ± 13.9%). In both the Furnace Creek 508 and the Swiss Cycling Marathon, ~46% of the finishers were aged between 35 and 49 years. The mean age of winners, both male and female, across the years in the Furnace Creek 508 and in the Swiss Cycling Marathon was 37 ± 10 years.ConclusionThese findings in ultracycling races showed that (1) ~26%–40% of starters were unable to finish, (2) the percentage of female finishers was ~3%–11%, (3) the gender difference in performance was ~18%–28%, and (4) ~46% of the successful finishers were master athletes. Future studies need to investigate the reasons for the low female participation and focus on the age-related performance decline in other ultraendurance events in order to confirm that master athletes are predisposed to ultraendurance performances.

Can the Performance Gap between Women and Men be Reduced in Ultra-Cycling?

“…The number of participating athletes in distance-limited ultra-cycling races was unstable, with the highest participation of men over all race distances; there were 11,347 (91.04%) men and only 1116 (8.95%) women (Figure 1). This finding was congruent with other investigations regarding participation trends in ultra-cycling events [1,2] where~3-11% were female finishers. This lag in participation could partially be explained by the fact that women were not allowed to participate in sports competitions for many years due to previous emancipation, historical, and social reasons [2].…”

“…Ultra-endurance events (e.g., ultra-running, ultra-cycling) have gained increasing popularity over the last 25 years, with a rising number of female and master athlete participants in particular [1,2]. By definition, and according to the Ultra Marathon Cycling Association (UMCA, www.ultracycling.…”

“…In ultra-cycling races, race distances spread from six-hour challenges up to 5000 km, such as the well-known Race Across America (RAAM). In this sports discipline, the participation of women ranges from 3% to 11%, depending on the race distance [2]. The majority of successful finishers in ultra-cycling events are master athletes in the age group of 35-49 years [1].…”

“…In ultra-cycling, women are slower than men overall [9]. Regarding an analysis of the "RAAM" (5000 km), the "Furnace Creek" 508 (800 km), and the "Swiss Cycling Marathon" (715 km), the average sex difference in ultra-cycling represents 18%-28% [2]. An investigation of performance trends in the "Swiss Cycling Marathon" (62-560 miles) showed that sex differences decreased over the years 2001 to 2012, reaching~14% in 2012 [10].…”

Master Athletes Are Extending the Limits of Human Endurance

“…The increase in participation of master athletes in endurance events inevitably has an influence on the mean age of the finishers. Generally finishers are older than 40 years in endurance and ultra-endurance events, e.g., 47 years for 100-km running (Knechtle et al, 2012), 43–44 years for 161-km running (Hoffman et al, 2010), or 43 years for ultra-cycling such as Race Across America (Shoak et al, 2013). …”