The Effect of Record Versus Rank Competition on the Performance of Male Marathoners

We examined the performance differences in elite male marathoners when competing for record times versus ranks. Data of the top 300 male marathoners in 2019 were obtained from the World Athletics website for comparison and analysis. All competitions approved by the World Athletics were rated in the order of OW, GL, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Time comparisons were performed using one-way ANOVA and then the Bonferroni post-hoc test. Higher-grade competitions consist of top athletes with competitive qualifying record whose central motivation is to achieve the best records. Lower-grade competitions are often preliminary measures of qualification for larger competitions, motivating athletes to compete for ranks rather than records. The average time difference for each competition was statistically significant. GL's average time was the fastest at 2:13:42 (±00:03:15). From A to F, the average finishing time tended to increase from 2:09:51 (±00:03:27) to 2:14:48 (±00:03:24). The average end time at F was the slowest at 2:14:48 (±00:03:24). When comparing the athletes’ relative performance, the times for large international competitions, such as GL, A, and B, were also faster than smaller competitions, such as E and F (p<0.05). These results are interpreted to mean that competing to achieve record times is better for marathon performance than competing for ranks.