Where Are the Best European Road Runners and What Are the Country Variables Related to It?

Abstract

Background: The environment can play a relevant role in performance in runners. This study aimed to verify the distribution of the best European road runners across the continent, and to investigate variables related to country representatives in the European Senior outdoor top list 2019. Methods: The sample comprised 563 European runners, aged 18–48 years, ranked in the European Senior outdoor top list 2019 for distances of 10–42 km. Country-related variables were gross domestic product (GDP), competition place, population size, and sports investment. The countries were categorized as “top ten countries” or “other countries”. Binary logistic regression was used for analysis. Results: The United Kingdom showed the highest prevalence of runners in the ranking (men—17.6%; women—23.0%), followed by Spain (male ranking—12.1%) and Germany (female ranking—8.6%). For men, sports investment (OR = 1.13; CI95% = 1.03–1.28) and country GDP (OR = 0.96; CI95% = 0.93–0.98) showed an association with the chances of the athlete to reach the Top 10 ranking, while among women, the only variable significantly related was the competition venue (OR = 3.97; CI95% = 1.40–11.23). Conclusion: As in other sports considered “non-expensive”, the economic and demographic characteristics of the place where athletes train can provide advantages in performance.

The Matthew Effect in Running: An Analysis of Elite Endurance Athletes Over 23 Years

“…Similar results were observed by Thuany et al [33], studying Brazilian elite endurance athletes, where the authors reported that population size and GDP were related to states' representativeness (determined by the number of athletes) in the national ranking of the modality. At the European level, economic proxy (i.e., sports investment) and place of competition (i.e., housing running events) seem to increase the chances of a runner being ranked among the 10 best athletes in endurance running [33].…”

“…In summary, the published studies highlighted those environmental characteristics were relevant in both the development and maintenance of athletic performance [11,18,25]. Thus, considering the context-specific characteristics between countries, it is possible to postulate that these differences can be associated with between-countries performance differences, which can lead one country to be more competitive than the others, achieving higher international performance and recognition [6,33]. Furthermore, this scenario can lead these countries to receive more financial sports investments through their government and/or stakeholders/ sponsors, allowing them to increase their visibility and success at the international level, due to better conditions for sports development and support for elite athletes.…”

“…For example, in endurance running, it was reported that socioeconomic variables (i.e., sports investment and gross domestic product) and competition venue were associated with countries' likelihood of having athletes in the top 10 rankings, in the European continent [33]. Furthermore, in the Brazilian context, a relationship between population size and the State's Gross Domestic Product with the number of athletes in the national ranking was observed [33].…”

“…For example, in endurance running, it was reported that socioeconomic variables (i.e., sports investment and gross domestic product) and competition venue were associated with countries' likelihood of having athletes in the top 10 rankings, in the European continent [33]. Furthermore, in the Brazilian context, a relationship between population size and the State's Gross Domestic Product with the number of athletes in the national ranking was observed [33]. Moreover, at an international level, information about the success of the African endurance runners has been extensively studied [17], but information regarding the relationship between countries' HDI and the success in this modality is still not conclusive.…”

The frequency and performance trends of European countries in the U18 and U20 rankings for 1500 m and 3000 m between 2009–2020

“…Based on studies performed with senior athletes, we hypothesized that Great Britain, Germany, and Spain were the countries where most athletes come from. 22 …”