Participation trends in ultra-endurance sports
Dr. Volker Scheer, MECOSEP, MRCGP Sports Medicine Department, University of Paderborn, Germany British Forces Germany Ultra-endurance events
Sporting events lasting longer than 6 hours in duration:
• Ultramarathon foot races • Triathlon • Cycling • Cross country skiing • Adventure tours e.g. (Hiking, walking) • Sailing Pheidippides Comrades
• Largest and oldest ultramarathon race • South Africa • Approximately 90 km • Since 1921 • The race was the idea of World War I veteran Vic Clapham, to commemorate the South African soldiers killed during the war • “Celebrate mankind's spirit over adversity” Races Worldwide trend ultramarathon finishers
300000
250000
200000
worldwide 150000 men women 100000
50000
0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Ultramarathon race finishers by country
90000
80000
70000
60000
50000 USA France 40000 Japan Germany 30000
20000
10000
0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Ultramarathon race finishers USA
60000
50000
40000
USA total 30000 men women
20000
10000
0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Age distribution USA Ultramarathon races
Races worldwide
4000
3500
s e
c 3000
a r Worldwide
f 2500
o
r
e 2000 USA b
m 1500 u Oceania n 1000
500 Asia
0
5
4
3
2
1
0
9
8
7 6
5 Europe
1
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2 2 Year Ultramarathon
Distance of races worldwide Multistage ultramarathon
Finishers
Shoak et al. European dominance in multistage ultramarathons: an analysis of finisher rate and performance trends from 1992 to 2010.Open Access J Sports Med. 2013; 4: 9–18 Triathlon
• Three competitions • Early 1900s reports of running, cycling, canoeing • 1920s in France, ¨les trois sports¨(swim/run/cycle) • Modern triathlon 1974 Mission Bay, San Diego • International Triathlon Union (ITU) founded in 1989 – World Cup, World Series, World Championships, Olympics 2000 • World Triathlon Cooperation (WTC) – Ironman, 70.3 series • Challenge Races – Challenge Roth • International Ultratriathlon Association (ITUA) Ironman
3.8 km swimming 180.2 km cycling 42.2 km running ‘Ironman Hawaii’
Finishers
Dähler et al. BMC Sports Science, Medicine, and Rehabilitation 2014, 6:16 http://biomedcentral.com/2052-1847/6/16 ‘Ironman Hawaii’
Dähler et al. BMC Sports Science, Medicine, and Rehabilitation 2014, 6:16 http://biomedcentral.com/2052-1847/6/16 ‘Ironman Hawaii’
Dähler et al. BMC Sports Science, Medicine, and Rehabilitation 2014, 6:16 http://biomedcentral.com/2052-1847/6/16 Multiple Ironman
Double Deca
Knechtle et al. Participation and performance trends in ultra-triathlons from 1985 to 2009. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2010 Ultracycling
• 5000 km Race Across America (RAAM): – Total elevation of ∼30,500 m. It is the longest, and considered the hardest, cycling endurance event in the world, starting at the Pacific coast and ending at the Atlantic coast in the United States
• 715 km Swiss Cycling Marathon in Europe Ultracycling
Race across America
Shoak et al. Participation and performance trends in ultracycling. Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine. 2013:441-51 715 km- oldest and longest qualifying race for RAAM Ultracycling
Swiss Cycling Marathon
Shoak et al. Participation and performance trends in ultracycling. Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine. 2013:441-51 715 km- oldest and longest qualifying race for RAAM Cross Country Skiing The Vasa Race
• Oldest and longest cross country ski race • Inspired by King Vasa in 1520 fleeing from King Christian II • 90 km race • Since 1922 (119 participants) • Now over 15.000 participants https://www.statista.com/statistics/191240/participants-in-hiking-in-the-us-since-2006/ Summary
• Participation across all ultra-endurance races is increasing
• Men >>> women
• Female participation is increasing
• Increase in older/ middle age participants
• Regional increases more pronounced (e.g. Asia) Thank you