The study

How severe is late-race slowing?

The severity distribution describes average positive slowing across 12.43–26.22 mi.

3,517,336 eligible finishes

How we measured it. Average positive section slowing relative to the 3.11–12.43 mi pace, weighted by section distance. Faster sections contribute zero. This differs from a sustained episode and is not a physiological diagnosis.

Full methodology & sources

Marathons, years and recorded data. Chart samples may be smaller than the eligible analysis cohort.

Current study results, methods and source checksums (JSON)Study methodology

Average positive late-race slowing

Percent (%)

Below 10%52.2%
10 to <25%36.6%
25 to <40%9.1%
40% or more2.2%
View exact values and sample sizes
GroupAverage positive late-race slowingObservations
Below 10%52.2%3,517,336
10 to <25%36.6%3,517,336
25 to <40%9.1%3,517,336
40% or more2.2%3,517,336

All research questions