NPR

Why Are American Runners Getting Slower?

A new mega-study has found that American runners, except for the elites, are getting slower. Blogger and avid runner Marcelo Gleiser discusses with the authors some theories on why this is the case.
Source: Getty Images/iStockphoto

The largest study of its kind — analyzing data from 24,763,389 results between 1996 to 2016 — has found that the average American runner, from 5k runners to marathoners, is getting slower.

The study was led by Jens Jakob Andersen and Ivanka Andreeva Nikolova from . Andersen is a former competitive runner and statistician from Copenhagen Business School. Nikolova holds a Ph.D. in Mathematical Analysis. The results include only races with more than 2,000 finishers. The researchers have data from 1902 to 2017 (May), but chose to publish only the trimmed data set from 1996

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR2 min read
Tesla Recalls Cybertruck Over Sticky Problem. Blame It On — Yes — Soap
Accelerator pedals on the new Cybertrucks can get stuck, a potentially dangerous production flaw. The reason why they're so sticky is soap.
NPR1 min read
Amsterdam Was Flooded With Tourists In 2023, So It Won't Allow Any More Hotels
Twenty-six hotels that already have permits can move forward, but after that a hotel can only be built if one shuts down. Tourists spent about 20.7 million nights in Amsterdam hotels last year.
NPR3 min readDiet & Nutrition
What World War II Taught Us About How To Help Starving People Today
The modern study of starvation was sparked by the liberation of concentration camp survivors. U.S. and British soldiers rushed to feed them — and yet they sometimes perished.

Related