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https://scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3115220/women-runners-are-better-men-keeping-even-pace-why-helps
Lifestyle/ Health & Wellness

Women runners are better than men at keeping even pace: why that helps and how they manage it

  • New research shows women are 18.33 per cent better at keeping an even pace than men, likely to be a psychological edge over more ego-driven males
  • Good pacing enables non-elite runners to perform better, achieve personal bests and feel a sense of achievement rather than a short-term adrenaline fix
Hong Kong-based runner Charlotte Cutler, who has won a number of races over her 35 years of racing. New research shows that female runners of all ages are better at pacing during endurance events than men. Photo: Charlotte Cutler

Men may be faster at running certain distances than women but the latest research shows that females are better at keeping an even pace and are less likely to experience burnout.

An analysis of 2.3 million marathon results from 2009 to 2019 revealed women were 18.33 per cent better at keeping an even pace than men, according to research by shoe retailer and reviewer RunRepeat.

Research earlier this year from RunRepeat found that the longer the distance, the smaller the gap between men and women’s times in percentage terms, with female ultrarunners actually faster on average than male ultrarunners at distances over 314km (195 miles).

The findings add to a growing body of research that concludes that female runners of all ages are better at pacing during endurance events.

A 2019 paper by European sports scientists argued that women had better fatigue tolerance due to fatigue-resistant type I muscle fibres and were able to better use fat when taking part in long-distance running.

This is particularly important for older women because long-distance running can provide considerable health benefits, such as lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, depression and falls, according to lead researcher Ivan Cuk of Singidunum University in Serbia.

Why are women better at pacing?

There was not one reason why women were able to hold a more consistent pace, Jovana Subic, ultrarunner and head of running research at RunRepeat, says.

“We’ve seen research about women’s metabolic edge, smaller muscles, better dissipation of heat. What we do notice at races is that men start faster. That decision could be ego-driven, [an] underestimation of one’s skills, but it could be as simple as being taken away by the crowd,” Subic says.

Jovana Subic, ultrarunner and head of running research at RunRepeat. Photo: Jovana Subic
Jovana Subic, ultrarunner and head of running research at RunRepeat. Photo: Jovana Subic

Competitive runner and coach Charlotte Cutler, who has been racing for 35 years and has won many Hong Kong races, says the research findings did not surprise her or her female running colleagues.

“Every single one of us has experienced in a race or out on a run when a man wants to run past you. There is a male ego side of not wanting to be left behind by the crowd. Women may be more likely to sit there and wait for the crowd to dissipate,” Cutler says.

The source of pacing consistency is likely to be psychological rather than physiological, says Francois-Xavier Li, a sports scientist at The University of Birmingham in the UK.

“It is a well-known fact that women pace better than men. You could say that men receive more adrenaline and start faster. Some papers show men are overconfident and are overestimating their ability,” Li says.

Francois-Xavier Li, a sports scientist at The University of Birmingham in the UK. Photo: Francois-Xavier Li
Francois-Xavier Li, a sports scientist at The University of Birmingham in the UK. Photo: Francois-Xavier Li

Hong Kong gender equality in pacing

When looking at runners from Hong Kong, the RunRepeat study found female runners were only 1 per cent better at pacing than male runners and as such the burnout rate between the sexes was minimal.

Running specialist Erwan Desvalois, who coaches Crystal Vut Tsz-ying, Samantha Chan and the women’s Oxfam Trailwalker team from physiotherapy clinic Joint Dynamics, says he believes the small difference in the Hong Kong results stem from a cultural effect.

“When I arrived in Hong Kong I was quite surprised to see how men and women often run together at an easy pace, whereas in France, where I’m from, and in Australia, where I lived for four years, it is rather ‘the boys follow the boys’ and ‘the girls follow the girls’. Potentially that would mean that men [here] know their bodies’ capacities better and start races more conservative. Maybe they have less ego as well.

“I believe it is more accepted for men to start slower and not try to follow these fast women which, as a result, would make the difference in burnout very little between men and women.”

Running specialist Erwan Desvalois. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
Running specialist Erwan Desvalois. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Cutler, who is from the UK, agrees. “In Hong Kong there is a lot of equality between the sexes. There is less of a male egotistical thing.”

What are the health benefits of good pacing?

Consistent pacing is known to improve performance, but the health benefits have not been scientifically measured.

“It’s definitely better for your performance,” Jobic says. “When you rush it at the beginning you will start feeling the consequences later during the race, not after. It’s not about the physical toll any more; you have to deal with the mental one as well. Muscles might hurt or start aching, your body fights and wants to recover then and there, yet you are still running. You hit the wall.”

Pushing yourself too hard can affect recovery time because it will deepen the impact on your muscles, Li says.

And whether you are training or racing, it is important to reduce the risks of injury.

“Pace judgment is critical, whether you are running 5km or 500km,” Cutler says. “It is the key to success. Too much training at fast speeds leads to injury risk.”

But the greatest benefit is mental health because good pacing enables non-elite runners to perform better, get personal bests and create a sense of achievement rather than a short-term adrenaline fix.

“Pacing is a good strategy in racing but also in life. Men who pace better than other men have better mental health,” Li says.

“We listen much more to our bodies”

For ultrarunners Floriane Chomette and Jill Mailloux O’Mahony, pacing is fundamental to their ability to keep on running.

The pair took on their biggest challenge yet this year, running 100km in 24 hours. They ran a 6.7km loop 15 times, running one loop every hour. O’Mahony went on to run 100 miles (161km) – 24 loops – on December 21.

Ultrarunners Floriane Chomette (right) and Jill Mailloux O’Mahony. Photo: Floriane Chomette and Jill Mailloux O’Mahony
Ultrarunners Floriane Chomette (right) and Jill Mailloux O’Mahony. Photo: Floriane Chomette and Jill Mailloux O’Mahony

Chomette, 37, from Hong Kong’s New Territories region, believes women out-compete men at longer distances because they are “more stubborn” and mentally stronger.

“Men are definitely faster [at shorter distances] but women are much more constant. Men are just running to get a score on [running tracking service] Strava but women have better quality runs,” she says.

“We just keep going and do the same pace all the time. There was just a two-minute difference between our fastest and slowest loop for the whole 15 loops. Even if you are tired, your body switches to this pace and you keep on moving.”

Cutler during a race. Photo: Charlotte Cutler
Cutler during a race. Photo: Charlotte Cutler

Taking a steady pace meant Chomette and O’Mahony recovered quickly from the 100km run.

“I have run races too hard and I couldn’t walk for a week afterwards. But now, the next day after a race I am fine. I am tired and hungry but I can walk like normal. You recover quicker if you keep an even pace.”

Chomette also believes women are more in tune with their bodies due to menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth and menopause.

“We are much more aware of what is happening inside us. It makes a big difference when running. We listen much more to our bodies.”